1902 South Carolina gubernatorial election

The 1902 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1902, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Duncan Clinch Heyward won the Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election to become the 88th governor of South Carolina.

1902 South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial primary runoff

← 1900 September 9, 1902 (1902-09-09) 1904 →

Candidate Duncan Heyward W. Jasper Talbert Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 50,662 40,490 Percentage 55.6% 44.4%

Governor before election Miles Benjamin McSweeney Democratic Elected Governor Duncan Clinch Heyward Democratic

Democratic primary

The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on August 26 and Duncan Clinch Heyward emerged as the frontrunner. His victory against W. Jasper Talbert, a congressman of the 2nd congressional district, in the runoff on September 9 came as a surprise because Heyward was relatively unknown outside of Colleton County. Heyward, an aristocratic planter, attributed his win due to running a "clean and sincere campaign."^[1]

Candidates

• Martin Frederick Ansel, former state representative from Greenville and solicitor of the Eighth Judicial Circuit
• Duncan Clinch Heyward, Walterboro rice planter
• W. Jasper Talbert, U.S. Representative from Parksville
• James H. Tillman, Lieutenant Governor and nephew of U.S. Senator Benjamin Tillman
• W. H. Timmerman

Results

1902 Democratic gubernatorial primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Duncan Clinch Heyward	36,551	38.3%
	Democratic	W. Jasper Talbert	18,218	19.1%
	Democratic	Martin Frederick Ansel	17,685	18.6%
	Democratic	James H. Tillman	16,398	17.2%
	Democratic	W. H. Timmermann	6,515	6.8%
Total votes			95,367	100.00%

Runoff results

1902 Democratic gubernatorial runoff

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Duncan Clinch Heyward	50,662	55.6%	17.3
	Democratic	W. Jasper Talbert	40,490	44.4%	25.3
Total votes			91,152	100.00%

General election

The general election was held on November 4, 1902, and Duncan Clinch Heyward was elected the next governor of South Carolina without opposition. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout was much less than the previous gubernatorial election.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1902

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Duncan Clinch Heyward	31,817	100.0	0.0
Majority			31,817	100.0	0.0
Turnout			31,817
	Democratic hold

  65+% won by Heyward

See also

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