2014 South Carolina gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2014 United States gubernatorial elections.

The 2014 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of South Carolina, concurrently with the regularly-scheduled election and special election to both of South Carolina's U.S. Senate seats, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

2014 South Carolina gubernatorial election

← 2010 November 4, 2014 2018 →

Nominee Nikki Haley Vincent Sheheen Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 696,645 516,166 Percentage 55.90% 41.42%

County results Congressional district results Haley:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Sheheen:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Governor before election Nikki Haley Republican Elected Governor Nikki Haley Republican

Incumbent Republican governor Nikki Haley ran for re-election to a second term in office. She faced Democratic state senator Vincent Sheheen in the general election. Republican-turned-Independent Tom Ervin had been running, but he withdrew from the race and endorsed Sheheen.

Haley defeated Sheheen again in 2014, as she won nearly 56 percent of the vote to his 41 percent.^[1]

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

• Nikki Haley, incumbent governor^[2]

Withdrew

• Tom Ervin, attorney, former state representative and former circuit court judge (ran as an Independent and later dropped out of the race to endorse Vincent Sheheen)^[3][4]

Declined

• Tom Davis, state senator^[5]
• Bobby Harrell, Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives^[6]
• Curtis M. Loftis, Jr., state treasurer^[7]
• Glenn F. McConnell, Lieutenant Governor^[8][9]
• Mick Mulvaney, U.S. representative^[6][10]
• William Walter Wilkins, former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit^[6]
• Alan Wilson, Attorney General of South Carolina^[6][11]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Nikki Haley	Someone else	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[12]	December 7–9, 2012	506	± 4.4%	53%	37%	10%

Hypothetical polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Nikki Haley	Curtis Loftis	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[12]	December 7–9, 2012	506	± 4.4%	66%	18%	17%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Nikki Haley	Glenn McConnell	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[12]	December 7–9, 2012	506	± 4.4%	58%	26%	17%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Vincent Sheheen, state senator and nominee for governor in 2010^[13]

Declined

• Stephen K. Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia^[14][15]
• Harry L. Ott, Jr., Minority Leader of the South Carolina House of Representatives^[16]

Endorsements

Vincent Sheheen

Elected Officials

• Welborn Adams, Mayor of Greenwood^[17]
• Lovith Anderson, Mayor of Lake City^[17]
• John Douglas, Mayor of Chesterfield^[17]
• Doug Echols, Mayor of Rock Hill^[17]
• Tom Ervin, attorney, former state representative and former circuit court judge^[17]
• Jim Hodges, former governor of South Carolina^[17]
• Andy Ingram, Mayor of Cheraw^[17]
• Joseph McElveen, Mayor of Sumter^[17]
• Wayne Rhodes, Mayor of Kershaw^[17]
• Joseph Riley, Mayor of Charleston^[17]
• Richard Riley, former United States Secretary of Education and former governor of South Carolina^[17]
• Tony Scully, Mayor of Camden^[17]
• Ann Taylor, Mayor of Heath Springs^[17]
• Junie White, Mayor of Spartanburg^[17]
• Steve Wukela, Mayor of Florence^[17]

Independent and third parties

Candidates

Declared

• Steve French (Libertarian), businessman^[18]
• Morgan Bruce Reeves (United Citizens Party), former NFL player and nominee for governor in 2010^[19]
• Angry Grandpa (Charles Green) YouTuber, comedian, veteran, former nut salesman, and weed rights activist^[20]

Withdrew

• Tom Ervin (Independent), attorney, former Republican state representative and former circuit court judge (endorsed Sheheen)^[21]

Declined

• André Bauer (Independent), former Republican Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, candidate for governor in 2010 and candidate for SC-07 in 2012^[22]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[23]	Likely R	November 3, 2014
Sabato's Crystal Ball[24]	Likely R	November 3, 2014
Rothenberg Political Report[25]	Likely R	November 3, 2014
Real Clear Politics[26]	Likely R	November 3, 2014

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Nikki Haley (R)	Vincent Sheheen (D)	Tom Ervin (I)	Other	Undecided
Daily Journal[27]	October 27–30, 2014	139	—	46%	45%	2%	4%[28]	3%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov[29]	October 16–23, 2014	1,566	± 4%	50%	33%	—	1%	16%
Susquehanna[30]	October 2014	917	± 3.24%	51%	31%	11%	3%[31]	4%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov[32]	September 20–October 1, 2014	2,663	± 2%	53%	36%	—	1%	10%
Crantford Research[33]	September 29, 2014	688	± 3%	41%	37%	7%	—	15%
Winthrop University[34]	September 21–28, 2014	1,082	± 3%	44%	34%	4%	4%[35]	15%
Public Policy Polling^[36]	September 4–5, 2014	793	± 3.5%	50%	45%	—	—	5%
American Research Group[37]	September 2–4, 2014	600	± 4%	43%	33%	18%	1%[38]	5%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov[39]	August 18–September 2, 2014	833	± 5%	56%	35%	—	1%	9%
Rasmussen Reports[40]	August 25–26, 2014	750	± 4%	51%	36%	—	6%	7%
CBS News/NYT/YouGov[41]	July 5–24, 2014	1,186	± 5.4%	55%	38%	—	2%	5%
Palmetto Politics Poll[42]	July 22, 2014	1,000	± 4%	53%	40%	—	—	7%
		650	± 4%	46%	42%	3%	5%[38]	6%
Public Policy Polling^[43]	June 20–22, 2014	698	± 3.7%	49%	46%	—	—	5%
Rasmussen Reports[40]	April 14–15, 2014	750	± 4%	52%	37%	—	3%	7%
Harper Polling[44]	October 27–28, 2013	676	± 3.77%	48%	39%	—	—	13%
Clarity Campaign Labs[45]	October 15–16, 2013	760	± 3.53%	44%	40%	—	—	16%
Public Policy Polling[12]	December 7–9, 2012	520	± 4.3%	44%	46%	—	—	10%

Hypothetical polling

With Loftis

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Curtis Loftis (R)	Vincent Sheheen (D)	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[12]	December 7–9, 2012	520	± 4.3%	37%	46%	17%

With McConnell

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Glenn McConnell (R)	Vincent Sheheen (D)	Undecided
Public Policy Polling[12]	December 7–9, 2012	520	± 4.3%	41%	44%	15%

Results

South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2014^[46]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Nikki Haley (incumbent)	696,645	55.90%	+4.53%
	Democratic	Vincent Sheheen	516,166	41.42%	−5.49%
	Libertarian	Steve French	15,438	1.24%	N/A
	Independent	Tom Ervin	11,496	0.92%	N/A
	United Citizens	Morgan B. Reeves	5,622	0.45%	−1.05%
	Write-in		934	0.07%	-0.16%
Total votes			1,246,301	100.00%	N/A
	Republican hold

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Abbeville (largest city: Abbeville)
• Barnwell (largest city: Barnwell)
• Chester (largest town: Chester)
• Chesterfield (Largest city: Cheraw)
• Colleton (largest city: Walterboro)
• Florence (Largest city: Florence)
• Kershaw (Largest city: Camden)
• McCormick (largest town: McCormick)
• Union (Largest city: Union)