South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1868

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The 1868 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on June 2 and June 3, 1868 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. The election was called following the passage of the South Carolina Constitution of 1868 by a majority of the voters of the state. Robert Kingston Scott won the election largely by the support of the newly franchised black voters and became the 74th governor of South Carolina.

1 Campaign
2 General Election
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Campaign

The Republican Party was formed in South Carolina in 1868 to contest the elections of that year. Their members were chiefly composed of former slaves, carpetbaggers and scalawags 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 and their platform for the election maintained a policy of white supremacy as well as disapproval of the Constitution of 1868.

[edit] General Election

The general election was held on June 2 and June 3, 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	75.0	+75.0
	Democratic	William D. Porter	23,087	24.8	+24.8
Majority			46,606	50.2	+46.4
Turnout
	Republican gain

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Reynolds, John S. (1969). Reconstruction in South Carolina. Negro University Press. ISBN 0-8371-1638-4.

[edit] External links

SCIway Biography of Governor Robert Kingston Scott

Preceded by: 1865	South Carolina gubernatorial elections	Succeeded by: 1870

South Carolina gubernatorial elections

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