1914 South Carolina gubernatorial election

1914 South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial primary runoff

September 8, 1914 (1914-09-08)

Candidate Richard Irvine Manning III John Gardiner Richards Jr. Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 73,969 45,099 Percentage 62.1% 37.9%

Governor of South Carolina before election Cole Blease Democratic Elected Governor of South Carolina Richard Manning III Democratic

The 1914 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1914, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Richard Irvine Manning III emerged from the crowded Democratic primary to win in the runoff and overwhelmingly won the effectively one-party state's general election to become the 92nd governor of South Carolina.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• John B. Adger Mullally
• Lowndes J. Browning
• John G. Clinkscales
• Robert Archer Cooper, former State Representative from Laurens
• John T. Duncan, candidate for Governor in 1910 and 1912
• William C. Irby Jr.
• Richard Irvine Manning III, former State Senator from Sumter County and grandson of Governor Richard Irvine Manning I
• John Gardiner Richards Jr., former State Representative from Liberty Hill, Kershaw County and candidate for Governor in 1910
• Charles Carroll Sims
• Charles Aurelius Smith, Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
• Mendel L. Smith

Campaign

The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on August 25 and progressive reformer Richard Irvine Manning III emerged as the winner in a crowded field. He garnered the support from the candidates eliminated in the runoff election and was able to score a decisive victory over John Gardiner Richards, Jr., the candidate favored by former governor Coleman Livingston Blease, on September 8.

Results

Democratic Primary
Candidate	Votes	%
John Gardiner Richards, Jr.	26,801	20.5
Richard Irvine Manning III	25,397	19.5
Robert Archer Cooper	25,053	19.2
John G. Clinkscales	17,126	13.1
William C. Irby, Jr.	14,652	11.2
Mendel L. Smith	9,905	7.6
Charles Aurelius Smith	5,842	4.5
Charles Carroll Sims	2,773	2.1
Lowndes J. Browning	1,513	1.2
John T. Duncan	793	0.6
John B. Adger Mullally	665	0.5

Runoff results

Democratic Primary Runoff
Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Richard Irvine Manning III	73,969	62.1	+42.6
John Gardiner Richards, Jr.	45,099	37.9	+17.4

General election

The general election was held on November 3, 1914, and Richard Irvine Manning III was elected the next governor of South Carolina. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout was much less than the previous gubernatorial election.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1914

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Richard Irvine Manning III	34,606	99.8	+0.3
	Socialist	R.B. Britton	83	0.2	−0.3
Majority			34,523	99.6	+0.6
Turnout			34,689
	Democratic hold

  65+% won by Manning

See also

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

References

• Lander, Ernest McPherson Jr. (1970). A History of South Carolina, 1865-1960. University of South Carolina Press. p. 53. ISBN 0-87249-169-2.
• Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962. pp. 30–31.
• "Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina. Part II." Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume IV. Columbia, SC: 1915, p. 339.
• "State Committee Declares Results". The News and Courier. September 2, 1914. p. 2.
• "Manning's Majority 28,870". The News and Courier. September 15, 1914. p. 1.

External links

• SCIway Biography of Richard Irvine Manning III

Preceded by 1912

South Carolina gubernatorial elections

Succeeded by 1916