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 County results Manning: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Blease: 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||
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The1916 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1916, to select thegovernor of the state ofSouth Carolina. GovernorRichard Irvine Manning III faced a strong challenge from former governorColeman Livingston Blease in theDemocratic primary, but Manning won a second two-year term as governor.
GovernorRichard Irvine Manning III ran for a second term, but faced a challenge in thestate Democraticprimary from former governorColeman Livingston Blease andRobert Archer Cooper. The progressive reforms initiated by Governor Manning alarmed many of the textile owners who threw their support to Cooper. Blease revived his political coalition of mill workers and sharecroppers and he made political capital out of Manning's use of troops to enforce a court eviction order against strikers at a mill inAnderson.SenatorBen Tillman openly supported the re-election of Governor Manning.
The results of the primary on August 29 had Blease in first place, but just short of a majority necessary to avoid arunoff election. With the elimination of Cooper, the mill executives threw their support to Manning. Indeed, most South Carolinians not already supporting Blease preferred Manning to Blease. Many viewed the election as one of government and misgovernment. Manning eked out a victory in the runoff on September 12 and was essentially elected to a second two-year term because there was nominal opposition in the general election.
| Democratic Primary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Coleman Livingston Blease | 64,384 | 46.7 |
| Richard Irvine Manning III | 41,536 | 30.2 |
| Robert Archer Cooper | 31,305 | 22.7 |
| John M. DesChamps | 307 | 0.2 |
| John T. Duncan | 269 | 0.2 |
| Democratic Primary Runoff | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Richard Irvine Manning III | 71,463 | 51.7 | +21.5 |
| Coleman Livingston Blease | 66,791 | 48.3 | +1.6 |
The general election was held on November 7, 1916, and Richard Irvine Manning III was re-electedgovernor of South Carolina without opposition. Turnout increased over theprevious gubernatorial election because there was also apresidential election on the ballot.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Richard Irvine Manning III (incumbent) | 60,405 | 97.9 | −1.9 | |
| Independent | Coleman Livingston Blease | 1,089 | 1.8 | +1.8 | |
| Socialist | J.C. Gibbes | 163 | 0.3 | +0.1 | |
| No party | Write-Ins | 38 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 59,316 | 96.1 | −3.5 | ||
| Turnout | 61,695 | ||||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Preceded by 1914 | South Carolina gubernatorial elections | Succeeded by 1918 |
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