Electoral history of Strom Thurmond

List of elections featuring Strom Thurmond as a candidate

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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.

Governor of South Carolina

Democratic gubernatorial primary in South Carolina, 1946
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Strom Thurmond	96,691	33.43
	Democratic	James C. McLeod	83,464	28.86
	Democratic	Ransome Judson Williams (incumbent)	35,813	12.38
	Democratic	John C. Taylor	22,447	7.76
	Democratic	Dell O'Neall	16,574	5.73
	Democratic	John D. Long	16,503	5.71
	Democratic	Carl B. Epps	5,189	1.79
	Democratic	Marcus A. Stone	4,353	1.51
	Democratic	A. L. Wood	3,040	1.05
	Democratic	A. J. Beattie	2,889	1.00
	Democratic	Roger W. Scott	2,251	0.78
Total votes			289,214	100.00

Democratic gubernatorial runoff primary in South Carolina, 1946
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Strom Thurmond	144,420	56.95
	Democratic	James C. McLeod	109,169	43.05
Total votes			253,589	100.0

1946 South Carolina gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Strom Thurmond	26,520	100.00
Total votes			26,520	100.0
	Democratic hold

United States presidential elections

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%)

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

Democratic primary for the United States Senate from South Carolina, 1950
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Olin D. Johnston (incumbent)	186,180	53.95
	Democratic	Strom Thurmond	158,904	46.05
Total votes			345,084	100.0

1954 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent Democrat	Strom Thurmond (write-in)	143,444	63.13
	Democratic	Edgar A. Brown	83,525	36.76
	Democratic	Marcus A. Stone (write-in)	240	0.11
Total votes			227,209	100.0

1956 United States Senate special election in South Carolina
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	245,371	100.00
Total votes			245,371	100.0

1960 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	330,167	99.97
	Write-in		102	0.03
Total votes			330,269	100.0

1966 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	271,297	62.19
	Democratic	Bradley Morrah Jr.	164,955	37.81
Total votes			436,252	100.0

1972 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	415,806	63.29
	Democratic	Nick Ziegler	241,056	36.69
	Write-in		172	0.03
Total votes			657,034	100.0

1978 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	351,917	55.68
	Democratic	Charles D. Ravenel	280,146	44.32
Total votes			632,063	100.0

1984 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	44,662	94.31
	Republican	Bob Cunningham	2,693	5.69
Total votes			47,355	100.00
General election
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	644,815	66.61
	Democratic	Melvin Purvis	306,982	31.81
	Libertarian	Stephen Davis	13,323	1.38
Total votes			965,120	100.00

1990 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	482,032	64.21
	Democratic	Bob Cunningham	244,112	32.52
	Libertarian	William H. Griffin	13,805	1.84
	American	Marion C. Metts	10,317	1.37
	Write-in		450	0.06
Total votes			750,716	100.00

1996 United States Senate election in South Carolina
Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	132,145	60.62
	Republican	Harold G. Worley	65,666	30.12
	Republican	Charlie Thompson	20,185	9.26
Total votes			217,996	100.00
General election
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	620,326	53.38
	Democratic	Elliott S. Close	511,226	43.99
	Libertarian	Richard T. Quillian	12,994	1.12
	Reform	Peter J. Ashy	9,741	0.84
	Natural Law	Annette C. Estes	7,697	0.66
	Write-in		141	0.01
Total votes			965,120	100.00

President pro tempore elections

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1981
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond	53	53.54
	Democratic	John C. Stennis	46	46.47
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1983
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	54	54.00
	Democratic	John C. Stennis	46	46.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1985
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	53	53.00
	Democratic	John C. Stennis	47	47.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1987
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John C. Stennis	55	55.00
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	45	45.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1989
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Robert Byrd	55	55.00
	Republican	Strom Thurmond	45	45.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1991
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Robert Byrd (incumbent)	56	56.00
	Republican	Strom Thurmond	44	44.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1993
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Robert Byrd (incumbent)	57	57.00
	Republican	Strom Thurmond	43	43.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1995
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond	52	52.00
	Democratic	Robert Byrd (incumbent)	48	48.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1997
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	55	55.00
	Democratic	Robert Byrd	45	45.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, 1999
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	55	55.00
	Democratic	Robert Byrd	45	45.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, January 3, 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Robert Byrd	51	51.00
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	50	50.00
Total votes			101	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, January 20, 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond	51	51.00
	Democratic	Robert Byrd (incumbent)	50	50.00
Total votes			101	100.00

President pro tempore of the United States Senate, June 6, 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Robert Byrd	51	45.00
	Republican	Strom Thurmond (incumbent)	49	49.00
Total votes			100	100.00

President pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate, June 6, 2001
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Strom Thurmond	100	100.00
Total votes			100	100.00

References

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