Electoral history of Strom Thurmond explained

Electoral history of Strom Thurmond, 103rd Governor of South Carolina (1947–1951), United States Senator from South Carolina (1954–1956, 1956–2003; Democrat until 1964 and Republican after), 1948 States' Rights Democrats presidential nominee and President pro tempore of the United States Senate (1981–1987, 1995–2001 and 2001).

Thurmond's over 70 years electoral career begun from successful election for the county attorney in 1930 and continued until 2003.

Democratic primary for Governor of South Carolina, 1946:^[1]

• Strom Thurmond – 96,691 (33.43%)
• James C. McLeod – 83,464 (28.86%)
• Ransome Judson Williams (inc.) – 35,813 (12.38%)
• John C. Taylor – 22,447 (7.76%)
• Dell O'Neall – 16,574 (5.73%)
• John D. Long – 16,503 (5.71%)
• Carl B. Epps – 5,189 (1.79%)
• Marcus A. Stone – 4,353 (1.51%)
• A. L. Wood – 3,040 (1.05%)
• A. J. Beattie – 2,889 (1.00%)
• Roger W. Scott – 2,251 (0.78%)

Democratic primary runoff for Governor of South Carolina, 1946:^[2]

• Strom Thurmond – 144,420 (56.95%)
• James C. McLeod – 109,169 (43.05%)

1946 South Carolina gubernatorial election

^[3]

• Strom Thurmond (D) – 26,520 (100.00%)

1948 United States presidential election

• Harry S. Truman/Alben W. Barkley (D) – 24,179,347 (49.6%) and 303 electoral votes (57.06%, 28 states carried)
• Thomas E. Dewey/Earl Warren (R) – 21,991,292 (45.1%) and 189 electoral votes (35.59%, 16 states carried)
• Strom Thurmond/Fielding L. Wright (Dixiecrat) – 1,175,930 (2.4%) and 39 electoral votes (7.35%, 4 states carried)
• Henry A. Wallace/Glen H. Taylor (Progressive) – 1,157,328 (2.4%)
• Norman Thomas/Tucker P. Smith (Socialist) – 139,569 (0.3%)
• Claude Watson/Dale Learn (Prohibition) – 103,708 (0.2%)
• Others – 46,361 (0.1%)

Democratic primary for the United States Senate from South Carolina, 1950:^[4]

• Olin D. Johnston (inc.) – 186,180 (53.95%)
• Strom Thurmond – 158,904 (46.05%)

1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina

^[5]

• Strom Thurmond (Independent Democrat) (write-in) – 143,444 (63.13%)
• Edgar A. Brown (D) – 83,525 (36.76%)
• Marcus A. Stone (write-in) – 240 (0.11%)

1956 United States Senate special election in South Carolina

^[6]

• Strom Thurmond (D) (inc.) – 245,371 (100.00%)

1960 United States Senate election in South Carolina

^[7]

• Strom Thurmond (D) (inc.) – 330,167 (99.97%)
• Others (write-in) – 102 (0.03%)

1960 United States presidential election

• John F. Kennedy/Lyndon B. Johnson (D) – 34,220,984 (49.7%) and 303 electoral votes (56.43%, 22 states carried)
• Richard Nixon/Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R) – 34,108,157 (49.6%) and 219 electoral votes (40.78%, 26 states carried)
• Harry F. Byrd/Strom Thurmond (I) – 286,359 (0.4%) and 14 electoral votes (2.61%, 2 states carried)
• Harry F. Byrd/Barry Goldwater (I) – 1 electoral vote (0.19%, Oklahoma faithless elector)
• Orval E. Faubus/John G. Crommelin (State's Rights) – 44,984 (0.1%)
• Charles L. Sullivan/Merritt Curtis (Constitution) – 18,162 (0.0%)
• Others – 216,982 (0.3%)

United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1966

^[8]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 271,297 (62.19%)
• Bradley Morrah Jr. (D) – 164,955 (37.81%)

United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1972

^[9]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 415,806 (63.29%)
• Nick Ziegler (D) – 241,056 (36.69%)
• Others (write-in) – 172 (0.03%)

United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1978

^[10]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 351,917 (55.68%)
• Charles D. Ravenel (D) – 280,146 (44.32%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1981:^[11]

• Strom Thurmond (R) – 53 (53.54%)
• John C. Stennis (D) – 46 (46.47%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1983:^[12]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 54 (54.00%)
• John C. Stennis (D) – 46 (46.00%)

Republican primary for the United States Senate from South Carolina, 1984:^[13]

• Strom Thurmond (inc.) – 44,662 (94.31%)
• Bob Cunningham – 2,693 (5.69%)

United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1984

^[14]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 644,815 (66.81%)
• Melvin Purvis (D) – 306,982 (31.81%)
• Stephen Davis (LBT) – 13,333 (1.38%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1985:^[15]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 53 (53.00%)
• John C. Stennis (D) – 47 (47.00%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1987:^[16]

• John C. Stennis (D) – 55 (55.00%)
• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 45 (45.00%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1989:^[17]

• Robert Byrd (D) – 55 (55.00%)
• Strom Thurmond (R) – 45 (45.00%)

United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1990

^[18]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 482,032 (64.21%)
• Bob Cunningham (D) – 244,112 (32.52%)
• William H. Griffin (LBT) – 13,805 (1.84%)
• Marion C. Metts (American) – 10,317 (1.37%)
• Write-ins – 450 (0.06%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1991:^[19]

• Robert Byrd (D) (inc.) – 56 (56.00%)
• Strom Thurmond (R) – 44 (44.00%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1993:^[20]

• Robert Byrd (D) (inc.) – 57 (57.00%)
• Strom Thurmond (R) – 43 (43.00%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1995:^[21]

• Strom Thurmond (R) – 52 (52.00%)
• Robert Byrd (D) (inc.) – 48 (48.00%)

Republican primary for the United States Senate from South Carolina, 1996:^[22]

• Strom Thurmond (inc.) – 132,145 (60.62%)
• Harold G. Worley – 65,666 (30.12%)
• Charlie Thompson – 20,185 (9.26%)

United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1996

^[23]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 620,326 (53.38%)
• Elliott Close (D) – 511,226 (43.99%)
• Richard T. Quillian (LBT) – 12,994 (1.12%)
• Peter J. Ashy (Reform) – 9,741 (0.84%)
• Annette C. Estes (Natural Law) – 7,697 (0.66%)
• Others – 141 (0.01%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1997:^[24]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 55 (55.00%)
• Robert Byrd – 45 (45.00%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1999:^[25]

• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 55 (55.00%)
• Robert Byrd – 45 (45.00%)

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, January 3, 2001:^[26]

• Robert Byrd (D) – 51 (50.50%)
• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 50 (49.51%)

Vice President Al Gore cast tie-breaking vote

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, January 20, 2001:^[27]

• Strom Thurmond (R) – 51 (50.50%)
• Robert Byrd (D) (inc.) – 50 (49.51%)

Vice President Dick Cheney cast tie-breaking vote

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, June 6, 2001:^[28]

• Robert Byrd (D) – 51 (51.00%)
• Strom Thurmond (R) (inc.) – 49 (49.00%)

President pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, June 6, 2001:^[29]

• Strom Thurmond (R) – 100 (100.00%)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC Governor - D Primary Race - Aug 13, 1946.
2. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC Governor - D Runoff Race - Sep 03, 1946.
3. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC Governor Race - Nov 05, 1946.
4. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate - D Primary Race - Jul 11, 1950.
5. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate Race - Nov 02, 1954.
6. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate - Special Election Race - Nov 06, 1956.
7. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate Race - Nov 08, 1960.
8. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate Race - Nov 08, 1966.
9. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate Race - Nov 07, 1972.
10. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate Race - Nov 07, 1978.
11. Web site: Our Campaigns - President Pro Tempore Race - Jan 03, 1981.
12. Web site: Our Campaigns - President Pro Tempore Race - Jan 03, 1983.
13. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate- R Primary Race - Jun 12, 1984.
14. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate Race - Nov 06, 1984.
15. Web site: Our Campaigns - President Pro Tempore Race - Jan 03, 1985.
16. Web site: Our Campaigns - President Pro Tempore Race - Jan 03, 1987.
17. Web site: Our Campaigns - President Pro Tempore Race - Jan 03, 1989.
18. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate Race - Nov 06, 1990.
19. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=407638 Our Campaigns – President Pro Tempore Race – Jan 03, 1991
20. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=407636 Our Campaigns – President Pro Tempore Race – Jan 03, 1993
21. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=407635 Our Campaigns – President Pro Tempore Race – Jan 03, 1995
22. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate - R Primary Race - Jun 11, 1996.
23. Web site: Our Campaigns - SC US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1996.
24. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=407634 Our Campaigns – President Pro Tempore Race – Jan 03, 1997
25. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=407633 Our Campaigns – President Pro Tempore Race – Jan 03, 1999
26. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=407632 Our Campaigns – President Pro Tempore Race – Jan 03, 2001
27. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=103493 Our Campaigns – President Pro-Tempore Race – Jan 20, 2001
28. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=1587 Our Campaigns – President Pro Tempore Race – Jun 06, 2001
29. Web site: Our Campaigns - President Pro Tempore Emeritus Race - Jun 06, 2001.