United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1912
Elections in South Carolina |
Federal offices |
Presidential elections |
2000 · 2004 · 2008
|
|
Presidential primaries |
Democratic: 2004 · 2008
Republican: 2000 · 2008 · 2012
|
|
United States Senate elections |
1896 · 1902 · 1908 · 1912 · 1914 · 1918
1920 · 1924 · 1926 · 1930 · 1932 · 1936
1938 · 1942 · 1944 · 1948 · 1950 · 1954
1956 · 1960 · 1962 · 1966 · 1968 · 1972
1974 · 1978 · 1980 · 1984 · 1986 · 1990
1992 · 1996 · 1998 · 2002 · 2004 · 2008
2010 · 2014
|
|
United States House elections |
1788 · 1870 · 1872 · 1874 · 1876 · 1878
1880 · 1882 · 1884 · 1886 · 1888 · 1890
1892 · 1894 · 1896 · 1898 · 1900 · 1902
1904 · 1906 · 1908 · 1910 · 1912 · 1914
1916 · 1918 · 1920 · 1922 · 1924 · 1926
1928 · 1930 · 1932 · 1934 · 1936 · 1938
1940 · 1942 · 1944 · 1946 · 1948 · 1950
1952 · 1954 · 1956 · 1958 · 1960 · 1962
1964 · 1966 · 1968 · 1970 · 1972 · 1974
1976 · 1978 · 1980 · 1982 · 1984 · 1986
1988 · 1990 · 1992 · 1994 · 1996 · 1998
2000 · 2002 · 2004 · 2006 · 2008 · 2010 · 2012
|
|
Special elections |
Senate, 1897 · 7th district, 1901
4th district, 1915 · Senate, 1918
6th district, 1919 · 7th district, 1919
Senate, 1941 · 4th district, 1953
1st district, 1971 · 2nd district, 2001
Others
|
|
|
|
The 1912 South Carolina United States Senate election was a Democratic Party primary election held on August 27, 1912 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Prior to the ratification of the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, U.S. Senators were elected by the state legislature and not through the direct election by the people of the state. However, the Democratic Party of South Carolina organized primary elections for the U.S. Senate beginning in 1896 and the General Assembly would confirm the choice of the Democratic voters. Incumbent Democratic Senator Ben Tillman won the Democratic primary and was re-elected by the General Assembly for another six-year term.
Democratic primary
Ben Tillman, a Senator since 1895, drew opposition in the Democratic primary for the first time during his career. He had long avoided any opposition because of his influence in the Democratic Party in the state, but by 1912 he had moderated his positions and lost the radical edge that had allowed him to build up a hard core following of support. The radicals in the state electorate had thrown their support to Coleman Livingston Blease in the gubernatorial election of 1910 and the Bleasites were determined to knock his chief opponent, Tillman, out of office. W. Jasper Talbert emerged as the candidate of the Bleasites and Nathaniel B. Dial entered the race as an alternative to the two. The voters of the state split their support between the Tillmanite and Bleasite factions as both Tillman and Blease won their respective primaries.
See also
References
- Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962. pp. 62–63.
- "Tillman Against Blease". New York Times: p. 14. 25 August 1912.