Election Name: | 1956 United States Senate election in South Carolina |
Country: | South Carolina |
Type: | presidential |
Ongoing: | no |
Previous Election: | 1950 United States Senate election in South Carolina |
Previous Year: | 1950 |
Next Election: | 1962 United States Senate election in South Carolina |
Next Year: | 1962 |
Election Date: | November 6, 1956 |
Nominee1: | Olin D. Johnston |
Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Popular Vote1: | 230,150 |
Percentage1: | 82.21% |
Nominee2: | Leon P. Crawford |
Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
Popular Vote2: | 49,695 |
Percentage2: | 17.75% |
U.S. Senator | |
Map Size: | 230px |
Before Election: | Olin D. Johnston |
Before Party: | Democratic Party (US) |
After Election: | Olin D. Johnston |
After Party: | Democratic Party (US) |
The 1956 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 6, 1956 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina simultaneously with the special Senate election. Incumbent Democratic Senator Olin D. Johnston handily defeated Republican mayor of Clemson Leon P. Crawford.
Olin D. Johnston, the incumbent Senator, faced no opposition from South Carolina Democrats and avoided a primary election.
Leon P. Crawford, the mayor of the town of Clemson in the Upstate, faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election.
Crawford campaigned as a defender of states' rights and denounced Johnston for backing the New Deal and the Fair Deal. The state Republican Party believed that Crawford could have a chance in the election if he galvanized the 128,000 registered black voters, although they were weary of being labeled as the black party. In the end, Johnston remained highly popular with the voters who were still leery of the Republican party and he easily defeated Crawford in the general election.
|-| | colspan=5 |Democratic hold|-