1934 South Carolina gubernatorial election

1934 South Carolina gubernatorial primary runoff

September 11, 1934

Nominee Olin Johnston Cole Blease Party Democratic Democratic Popular vote 157,673 122,876 Percentage 56.20% 43.80%

County results Johnston:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80% Blease:      50-60%      60-70%

Governor before election Ibra Charles Blackwood Democratic Elected Governor Olin D. Johnston Democratic

The 1934 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1934, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Olin D. Johnston won the contested Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election becoming the 98th governor of South Carolina.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Cole L. Blease, former Governor (1911–15) and United States Senator (1925–31)
• Kemper Cooke
• Olin D. Johnston, former State Representative from Spartanburg and candidate for Governor in 1930
• Wyndham Meredith Manning, State Representative from Stateburg and son of former Governor Richard Irvine Manning III
• L.B. Owens
• Thomas B. Pearce
• James O. Sheppard
• C.E. Sloan

The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor in the summer of 1934 and it attracted many politicians because of the change in 1926 to the South Carolina constitution providing for a four-year term. Johnston emerged victorious from the runoff against former Governor Cole Blease and ran without opposition on account of South Carolina's effective status as a one-party state.

Democratic Primary
Candidate	Votes	%
Olin D. Johnston	104,799	36.5
Coleman Livingston Blease	85,795	29.8
Wyndham Meredith Manning	55,767	19.4
Thomas B. Pearce	26,328	9.2
Kemper Cooke	7,390	2.6
L.B. Owens	4,186	1.4
James O. Sheppard	2,482	0.9
C.E. Sloan	683	0.2

Democratic Primary Runoff
Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Olin D. Johnston	157,673	56.2	+19.7
Coleman Livingston Blease	122,876	43.8	+14.0

General election

The general election was held on November 6, 1934, and Olin D. Johnston was elected the next governor of South Carolina without opposition. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout was much lower than the Democratic primary election.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1934

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Olin D. Johnston	22,873	100.0	0.0
Majority			22,873	100.0	0.0
Turnout			22,873
	Democratic hold

  65+% won by Johnston

See also

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

References

• Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876–1962. pp. 40–41.
• "Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports of State Officers Boards and Committees to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume I. Columbia, South Carolina: 1935, p. 3.

External links

• SCIway Biography of Olin Dewitt Talmadge Johnston

Preceded by 1930

South Carolina gubernatorial elections

Succeeded by 1938