| Election Name: | 1916 South Carolina Democratic gubernatorial primary runoff |
| Country: | South Carolina |
| Flag Year: | 1916 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Vote Type: | Popular |
| Party Name: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Previous Election: | 1914 South Carolina gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1914 |
| Next Election: | 1918 South Carolina gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1918 |
| Image1: | File:Richard Irvine Manning III circa 1915.jpg |
| Candidate1: | Richard Irvine Manning III |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Popular Vote1: | 71,463 |
| Percentage1: | 51.7% |
| Candidate2: | Cole Blease |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (US) |
| Popular Vote2: | 66,791 |
| Percentage2: | 48.3% |
| Governor of South Carolina | |
| Before Election: | Richard Manning III |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Richard Manning III |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1916 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1916, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Governor Richard Irvine Manning III faced a strong challenge from former governor Coleman Livingston Blease in the Democratic primary, but Manning won a second two-year term as governor.
Governor Richard Irvine Manning III ran for a second term, but faced a challenge in the state Democratic primary from former governor Coleman Livingston Blease and Robert Archer Cooper. The progressive reforms initiated by Governor Manning alarmed many of the textile owners who threw their support to Cooper. Blease revived his political coalition of mill workers and sharecroppers and he made political capital out of Manning's use of troops to enforce a court eviction order against strikers at a mill in Anderson. Senator Ben Tillman openly supported the re-election of Governor Manning.
The results of the primary on August 29 had Blease in first place, but just short of a majority necessary to avoid a runoff election. With the elimination of Cooper, the mill executives threw their support to Manning. Indeed, most South Carolinians not already supporting Blease preferred Manning to Blease. Many viewed the election as one of government and misgovernment. Manning eked out a victory in the runoff on September 12 and was essentially elected to a second two-year term because there was nominal opposition in the general election.
| Democratic Primary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Coleman Livingston Blease | 64,384 | 46.7 |
| 41,536 | 30.2 | |
| 31,305 | 22.7 | |
| John M. DesChamps | 307 | 0.2 |
| John T. Duncan | 269 | 0.2 |
| Democratic Primary Runoff | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Richard Irvine Manning III | 71,463 | 51.7 | +21.5 |
| Coleman Livingston Blease | 66,791 | 48.3 | +1.6 |
The general election was held on November 7, 1916, and Richard Irvine Manning III was re-elected governor of South Carolina without opposition. Turnout increased over the previous gubernatorial election because there was also a presidential election on the ballot.
|-| | colspan=5 |Democratic hold|-