1900 South Carolina gubernatorial election

The 1900 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1900 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Governor Miles Benjamin McSweeney won the Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election to win a term for governor in his own right.

1900 South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial primary runoff

← 1898 September 11, 1900 1902 →

Nominee Miles Benjamin McSweeney James A. Hoyt Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 51,363 37,412 Percentage 57.9% 42.1%

County results McSweeney:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Hoyt:      50-60%

Governor before election William Haselden Ellerbe Democratic Elected Governor Miles Benjamin McSweeney Democratic

Democratic primary

The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on August 28 and incumbent Governor McSweeney was the frontrunner. McSweeney favored the continuation of the state Dispensary which brought the backing of influential Senator and former Governor Ben Tillman. Prohibitionist James A. Hoyt won second place in the primary to advance to the runoff on September 11, but could not overcome McSweeney because the voters of the state simply did not want any alteration of an institution set up by Ben Tillman.

Democratic Primary
Candidate	Votes	%
Miles Benjamin McSweeney	39,097	42.3
James A. Hoyt	33,833	36.6
Frank B. Gary	12,956	14.0
A. Howard Patterson	6,052	6.6
G. Walton Whitman	491	0.6

Democratic Primary Runoff
Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Miles Benjamin McSweeney	51,363	57.9	+15.6
James A. Hoyt	37,412	42.1	+5.5

General election

The general election was held on November 6, 1900 and Miles Benjamin McSweeney was elected to a second term as governor of South Carolina without opposition. Turnout greatly increased over the previous gubernatorial election because there was also a presidential election on the ballot.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1900

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Miles Benjamin McSweeney (incumbent)	46,457	100.0	0.0
	No party	Write-Ins	18	0.0	0.0
Majority			46,439	100.0	0.0
Turnout			46,475
	Democratic hold

  65+% won by McSweeney

See also

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

References

• Ball, William Watts (1932). The State That Forgot; South Carolina's Surrender to Democracy. The Bobbs-Merrill Company. p. 255.
• "Official Count Declared". The News and Courier. September 15, 1900. p. 2.
• "Results of the First Primary". The News and Courier. September 1, 1900. p. 1.
• Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876–1962. pp. 21–22.
• Simkins, Francis Butler (1964). The Tillman movement in South Carolina. Duke University Press. p. 231.
• "Report of M.R. Cooper, Secretary of State, to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume I. Columbia, South Carolina: The State Company, 1901, pp. 82–83.

External links

• SCIway Biography of Miles Benjamin McSweeney

Preceded by 1898

South Carolina gubernatorial elections

Succeeded by 1902