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1896 South Carolina gubernatorial election

1896 South Carolina gubernatorial election

← 1894 November 3, 1896 1898 →

Nominee William Haselden Ellerbe Sampson Pope Party Democratic Reorganized Republican Popular vote 59,424 4,432 Percentage 89.1% 6.6%

County Results   95+% won by Ellerbe   90%-94% won by Ellerbe

Governor before election John Gary Evans Democratic Elected Governor William Haselden Ellerbe Democratic

Elections in South Carolina
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Ballot measures 2006 Amendment 1 2008 2010 2012 2014
Charleston Mayoral elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Columbia Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2010 2013 2017 2021
Rock Hill Mayoral elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Greenville Mayoral elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
v t e

The 1896 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1896 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. William Haselden Ellerbe won the Democratic primary and easily won the general election to become the 86th governor of South Carolina.

Elections in South Carolina
Federal government U.S. President 1788-89 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 Rep Dem 2004 Dem 2008 Dem Rep 2012 Rep 2016 Dem 2020 Dem 2024 Dem Rep U.S. Senate 1897 sp 1898 1902 1903 1907 1908 1909 1913 1914 1918 sp 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1936 1938 sp 1941 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 sp 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 sp 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 2028 U.S. House of Representatives 1788 1790 1793 1794 1796 1798 1800 1803 1804 1806 1808 1810 1812 1814 1816 1818 1820 1823 1824 1826 1828 1830 1833 1834 1836 1838 1840 1843 1844 1846 1848 1850 1853 1854 1856 1858 1860 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 7th 1901 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 4th 1915 1916 1918 6th 1919 7th 1919 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 4th 1953 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1st 1971 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2nd 2001 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 1st 2013 2014 2016 5th 2017 2018 2020 2022 2024 List of specials
State offices General elections 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1865 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 State Senate elections 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 State House elections 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures 2006 Amendment 1 2008 2010 2012 2014
Charleston Mayoral elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Columbia Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2010 2013 2017 2021
Rock Hill Mayoral elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Greenville Mayoral elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
v t e

Democratic primary[edit]

A new South Carolina Constitution was promulgated in 1895 under the direction of Pitchfork Ben Tillman and it disenfranchised the remaining blacks who were eligible to vote. With the removal of blacks from the electorate, the South Carolina Democratic Party felt safe to have its statewide ticket selected from a primary election. Thus, the 1896 election in South Carolina was the first that featured the use of a primary election by a party to select its nominees of statewide office for the general election.

Governor John Gary Evans declined to seek a second term and instead sought election to the U.S. Senate. Three candidates entered the Democratic primary and William Haselden Ellerbe from the start was the heavy favorite to win. He had been a candidate in the previous gubernatorial election, but lost to Evans after Tillman shifted his support from Ellerbe to Evans. This time Tillman fully backed Ellerbe and the other candidates never generated any traction with the voters of the state. The primary was held on August 26 and Ellerbe coasted to victory while the voters were chiefly interested in the battle between Evans and Joseph H. Earle for the open Senate seat.

Republican split[edit]

Sampson Pope had been an independent candidate in the previous gubernatorial election and gained an impressive 30% of the vote in a state completely run by the Democratic party machine. Upset at the new state constitution promulgated in 1895 and the lack of opposition by the state Republicans, Pope established a new party called the "Reorganized Republicans". It was composed chiefly of white men and requested recognition as the official South Carolina Republican Party from the Republican National Committee. Pope was considered to be a lily-white Republican.^[1]

However, the official state party did not want to lose its official status because of the potential spoils system to be gained by the election of William McKinley for president in 1896. They called for a state convention on September 17 in Columbia to nominate a statewide ticket. Sampson Pope likewise called for a convention of his Reorganized Republicans at the same time hoping that the two factions would merge or fuse for the general election. The old guard Republicans refused any merger and would only accept complete subordination forcing the Reorganized Republicans to also nominate a slate of statewide candidates.

General election[edit]

The general election was held on November 3, 1896 and William Haselden Ellerbe was easily elected as governor of South Carolina against the two Republican candidates. Turnout increased for this election over the previous election because it was a contested election and there also was a presidential election on the ballot.

See also[edit]

• Governor of South Carolina
• List of governors of South Carolina
• South Carolina gubernatorial elections

References[edit]

• Simkins, Francis Butler (1964). The Tillman movement in South Carolina. Duke University Press. pp. 229–230.
• "They Love Purity, not Pap". The News and Courier. October 11, 1896. p. 1.
• "The Chances of the Primary". The News and Courier. August 29, 1898. p. 2.
• "Statement of Votes Given for State Officers." Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina at the Regular Session Commencing January 12, 1897. Volume I. Columbia, SC: 1897, p. 15.
• Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962. pp. 18–19.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

• SCIway Biography of Governor William Haselden Ellerbe