United States · Election results history · 1956 Senate · South Carolina

Election 1956 Results

Each election opens in its own mode: the forecast before the votes are counted, the live count while races are still too close to call, and the results once every race is decided.

1956 US Senate election in South Carolina

Olin D. Johnston (Democrat) beat Leon P. Crawford (Republican) in South Carolina in 1956, 82.2% to 17.8%, a margin of 64.5 points and 180,455 votes.

Strom Thurmond (Democrat) won in South Carolina in 1956 with 100.0% of the vote and no opponent from the other main party. (This was a special election.)

The Democratic hold continued from 1950, when Olin D. Johnston also won.

Democrats led in 46 of the 46 counties as they stood then. The largest, Greenville, cast 25,026 votes and went to the Democrat by 50.6 points. The closest was Jasper, where 722 votes separated the two parties.

United States

Results

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If only voted How this works

If the polls miss like

Or set the national mood Turnout

Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

Senate

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Olin D. Johnston won	Democratic	230,150	82.2%
Leon P. Crawford	Republican	49,695	17.8%
All other candidates		124	0.0%
Total		279,969

Special election

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Strom Thurmond won	Democratic	245,371	100.0%
Total		245,371

Every county

County	Democrat	Republican	Others	Total	Margin
Greenville	18,847 75.3%	6,179 24.7%		25,026	D+50.6
Spartanburg	20,464 83.4%	4,063 16.6%		24,527	D+66.9
Richland	12,217 56.2%	9,516 43.8%		21,733	D+12.4
Charleston	10,877 65.8%	5,659 34.2%		16,536	D+31.6
Anderson	12,609 87.2%	1,793 12.4%	59	14,461	D+74.8
Aiken	8,764 76.8%	2,644 23.2%		11,408	D+53.6
York	9,846 87.4%	1,422 12.6%		11,268	D+74.8
Florence	8,044 88.3%	1,058 11.6%	3	9,105	D+76.7
Horry	7,297 92.8%	564 7.2%		7,861	D+85.7
Darlington	5,536 80.3%	1,356 19.7%		6,892	D+60.7
Orangeburg	5,563 82.7%	1,165 17.3%		6,728	D+65.4
Greenwood	6,051 91.1%	590 8.9%		6,641	D+82.2
Lexington	5,570 85.1%	972 14.9%	2	6,544	D+70.3
Laurens	5,921 90.8%	603 9.2%		6,524	D+81.5
Lancaster	5,998 93.6%	411 6.4%		6,409	D+87.2
Sumter	5,178 90.2%	563 9.8%		5,741	D+80.4
Union	4,945 88.8%	624 11.2%		5,569	D+77.6
Kershaw	3,986 80.7%	954 19.3%		4,940	D+61.4
Cherokee	4,382 91.8%	390 8.2%		4,772	D+83.7
Newberry	4,301 90.4%	456 9.6%		4,757	D+80.8
Chesterfield	4,372 92.5%	352 7.5%		4,724	D+85.1
Oconee	3,887 86.5%	608 13.5%		4,495	D+72.9
Georgetown	3,571 83.3%	718 16.7%		4,289	D+66.5
Chester	3,726 89.4%	442 10.6%		4,168	D+78.8
Pickens	3,099 75.5%	988 24.1%	20	4,107	D+51.4
Colleton	3,486 89.2%	421 10.8%	3	3,910	D+78.4
Williamsburg	3,231 89.7%	373 10.3%		3,604	D+79.3
Berkeley	2,567 81.1%	598 18.9%		3,165	D+62.2
Abbeville	2,985 95.7%	134 4.3%		3,119	D+91.4
Dorchester	2,493 82.5%	530 17.5%		3,023	D+64.9
Dillon	2,741 92.9%	209 7.1%		2,950	D+85.8
Barnwell	2,743 93.6%	187 6.4%		2,930	D+87.2
Marion	2,652 91.1%	260 8.9%		2,912	D+82.1
Marlboro	2,444 89.3%	292 10.7%		2,736	D+78.7
Beaufort	2,229 83.3%	448 16.7%		2,677	D+66.5
Clarendon	2,299 89.7%	258 10.1%	5	2,562	D+79.7
Fairfield	2,102 83.3%	420 16.7%		2,522	D+66.7
Lee	2,092 87.0%	304 12.6%	9	2,405	D+74.3
Saluda	1,999 90.7%	193 8.8%	12	2,204	D+81.9
Hampton	1,849 93.7%	123 6.2%	1	1,973	D+87.5
Bamberg	1,592 87.1%	236 12.9%		1,828	D+74.2
Edgefield	1,610 93.0%	121 7.0%		1,731	D+86.0
Allendale	1,132 90.4%	118 9.4%	2	1,252	D+81.0
Jasper	967 79.7%	245 20.2%	1	1,213	D+59.5
Calhoun	1,080 93.2%	79 6.8%		1,159	D+86.4
McCormick	806 92.8%	56 6.4%	7	869	D+86.3

Counties as they stood in 1956; some have since been split, merged or renamed. Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Sources and how the results were checked.

South Carolina Senate elections we hold

Year	Winner	Margin
2022	Tim Scott (R)	R+25.9
2020	Lindsey Graham (R)	R+10.3
2016	Tim Scott (R)	R+23.6
2014	Lindsey Graham (R)	R+15.5
2010	Jim DeMint (R)	R+33.8
2008	Lindsey Graham (R)	R+15.3
2004	Jim Demint (R)	R+9.6
2002	Lindsey O. Graham (R)	R+10.2
1998	Ernest F. Hollings (D)	D+7.0
1996	Strom Thurmond (R)	R+9.4
1992	Ernest F. Hollings (D)	D+3.1
1990	Strom Thurmond (R)	R+31.7
1986	Ernest Fritz Hollings (D)	D+27.5
1984	Strom Thurmond (R)	R+35.0
1980	Ernest Fritz Hollings (D)	D+40.7
1978	Strom Thurmond (R)	R+11.4
1974	Ernest F. Hollings (D)	D+40.9
1972	Strom Thurmond (R)	R+26.6
1968	Ernest F. Hollings (D)	D+23.8
1966	Strom Thurmond (R)	R+24.4
1962	Olin D. Johnston (D)	D+14.3
1960	Strom Thurmond (D)	D+100.0
1956	Olin D. Johnston (D)	D+64.5
1954	Strom Thurmond (other)
1950	Olin D. Johnston (D)	D+99.9
1948	Burnet R. Maybank (D)	D+92.9
1944	Olin D. Johnston (D)	D+89.2
1942	Burnet R. Maybank (D)	D+100.0
1938	Cotton Ed Smith (D)	D+97.8
1936	James F. Byrnes (D)	D+97.7
1932	Cotton Ed Smith (D)	D+96.3
1930	James F. Byrnes (D)	D+100.0
1926	Cotton Ed Smith (D)	D+100.0
1924	Coleman L. Blease (D)	D+100.0
1920	Cotton Ed Smith (D)	D+100.0
1918	Nathaniel B. Dial (D)	D+100.0
1914	Cotton Ed Smith (D)	D+99.8