South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1902

The 1902 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1902 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Duncan Clinch Heyward won the Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election to become the 88th governor of South Carolina.

[edit] Democratic Primary

The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on August 26 and Duncan Clinch Heyward emerged as the frontrunner. His victory against W. Jasper Talbert, a congressman of the 2nd congressional district, in the runoff on September 9 came as a surprise because Heyward was relatively unknown outside of Colleton County. Heyward, an aristocratic planter, attributed his win due to running a "clean and sincere campaign."^[1]

The general election was held on November 4, 1902 and Duncan Clinch Heyward was elected the next governor of South Carolina without opposition. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout was much less than the previous gubernatorial election.

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election, 1902
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Duncan Clinch Heyward	31,817	100.0	0.0
Majority			31,817	100.0	0.0
Turnout			31,817
	Democratic hold

1902 South Carolina gubernatorial election map, by percentile by county. 65+% won by Heyward

^ Lander, Ernest: A History of South Carolina 1865-1960, page 47. University of South Carolina Press, 1970.

Lander, Jr., Ernest McPherson (1970). A History of South Carolina, 1865-1960. University of South Carolina Press, p. 47. ISBN 0872491692.
Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962, pp. 22-24.
"State Primary Election", The News and Courier, 30 August 1902, p. 1.
"Now We Know Who is Who!", The News and Courier, 12 September 1902, p. 1.
"Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume II. Columbia, SC: 1903, pp. 1374-1375.