1932 South Carolina Democratic Senate primary

← 1926 September 13, 1932 1938 →

Nominee Ellison D. Smith Cole Blease Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 150,468 114,840 Percentage 56.71% 43.29%

U.S. senator before election Ellison D. Smith Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Ellison D. Smith Democratic

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v t e

The 1932 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 8.

On September 13, incumbent Senator Ellison D. Smith defeated former Senator Cole Blease in the Democratic primary with 56.7% of the vote.

At this time, South Carolina was a one-party state, and the Democratic nomination was tantamount to victory. Smith won the November general election without any effort.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Coleman Livingston Blease, former U.S. Senator and Governor of South Carolina
• Leon W. Harris, candidate for U.S. Senate in 1930
• Ellison D. Smith, incumbent Senator since 1909
• Ashton Hilliard Williams, former State Senator from Lake City

Results

Runoff

General election

Campaign

Since the end of Reconstruction in 1877, the Democratic Party dominated the politics of South Carolina and its statewide candidates were never seriously challenged. Smith did not campaign for the general election as there was no chance of defeat. Republican Clara Harrigal, an Aiken businesswoman and Republican National Committeewoman, was the first woman to run for statewide office in South Carolina.

Results