1868 South Carolina gubernatorial election

The 1868 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held for three days from April 14 to April 16, 1868 to select the governor of South Carolina. The election for statewide offices was held simultaneously with the vote on the South Carolina Constitution of 1868. Robert Kingston Scott won the election largely by the support of the newly franchised black voters and became the 74th governor of South Carolina.

1868 South Carolina gubernatorial election
April 14 - 16, 1868
Turnout70%
 
Nominee Robert Kingston Scott William D. Porter
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 69,693 23,057
Percentage 75.14% 24.86%
County results

Scott:      50–54%      60–64%      >65%

Porter:      50–54%      55–59%      >65%
Governor before election

James Lawrence Orr
Democratic

 Elected Governor

Robert Kingston Scott
Republican

Elections in South Carolina

Campaign

The Republican Party was formed in South Carolina in 1867 to contest the elections of 1868. Members were chiefly composed of former slaves, and much of their support was derived from the Union League. They nominated Robert Kingston Scott, an Ohioan and assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, as their nominee for governor. The platform of the state Republican party for the election was to enact Radical Republican reconstruction of the state.

Reorganizing for the election were the Democrats who had not been active in state politics since the Civil War. They nominated William D. Porter for governor, although he declined the nomination and instead pressed for the voters to simply vote against the constitution. Nonetheless, he remained a Democratic candidate on the ballot. The Democratic platform for the election called for maintaining a policy of white supremacy and disapproval of the Constitution of 1868.

General election

The general election was held for three days from April 14 to April 16, 1868 and Robert Kingston Scott was elected as the first Republican governor of South Carolina. The huge vote by the blacks of the state enabled Scott to cruise to a comfortable win over the Democratic nominee, William Porter.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1868
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Robert Kingston Scott 69,693 75.1 +75.1
Democratic William D. Porter 23,057 24.9 +24.9
Majority 46,636 50.2 +46.4
Turnout 92,750 70.0
Republican gain
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See also

References
  • Reynolds, John S. (1969). Reconstruction in South Carolina. Negro University Press. pp. 86–97. ISBN 0-8371-1638-4.
  • "The Election Farce". The Charleston Daily Courier. 10 November 1870. p. 2.
Preceded by
1865		 South Carolina gubernatorial elections Succeeded by
1870
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