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 County results Congressional district results
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The2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina took place on November 2, 2004, as part of the2004 United States presidential election which took place throughout all 50 states andD.C. Voters chose eight representatives, or electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president.
South Carolina was won by incumbentPresidentGeorge W. Bush by a 17.08% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise ared state. No Democrat had won this state since1976. On election day, Bush won a majority of the counties and congressional districts in the state. The results were very similar to the state's results in2000, and very similar to the results in neighboringGeorgia this election, although Democratic SenatorJohn Edwards of the bordering state ofNorth Carolina was chosen as the vice presidential nominee. Bush wonGreenville County, the largest county in the state, by a margin of 33.23%.
South Carolina's was the first primary in aSouthern state and the first primary in a state in whichAfrican Americans make up a sizable percentage of the electorate.
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45 pledged delegates to the 2004 Democratic National Convention | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Election results by county.Red denotes counties won by Edwards, andBlue denotes those won by Kerry. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TheDemocratic primary was held on February 3, with 45 delegates at stake.[1] It was held on the same day assix other primaries and caucuses.
South Carolina's 45 delegates to the2004 Democratic National Convention were awarded proportionally based on the results of the primary. The state also sent tensuperdelegates.
As of the2024 presidential election, this is the last time, in a non-incumbent Democratic primary, that the winner of South Carolina did not win the nomination.
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
| South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, 2004[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | National delegates[1] |
| John Edwards | 131,174 | 44.86% | 28 |
| John Kerry | 88,508 | 30.27% | 17 |
| Al Sharpton | 28,201 | 9.65% | 0 |
| Wesley Clark | 21,011 | 7.19% | 0 |
| Howard Dean | 13,815 | 4.72% | 0 |
| Joe Lieberman | 7,147 | 2.44% | 0 |
| Dennis Kucinich | 1,319 | 0.45% | 0 |
| Dick Gephardt | 631 | 0.22% | 0 |
| Carol Moseley-Braun | 577 | 0.20% | 0 |
| Totals | 292,383 | 100.00% | 45 |
There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.[2]
| Source | Ranking |
|---|---|
| D.C. Political Report | Solid R |
| Cook Political Report | Solid R |
| Research 2000 | Solid R |
| Zogby International | Likely R |
| Washington Post | Likely R |
| Washington Dispatch | Likely R |
| Washington Times | Solid R |
| The New York Times | Solid R |
| CNN | Likely R |
| Newsweek | Solid R |
| Associated Press | Solid R |
| Rasmussen Reports | Likely R |
Bush won every pre-election poll, each with a double-digit margin (except for one) and with at least 49% of the vote. The final 3 poll average showed Bush leading 55% to 41%.[3]
Bush raised $3,113,641.[4] Kerry raised $533,966.[5]
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.[6][7]
South Carolina, historically part of theSolid South, has become a Republican stronghold in the past few presidential elections. SinceBarry Goldwater carried the state in1964, the only Democratic presidential nominee to win it wasJimmy Carter of neighboringGeorgia in1976. Since then, South Carolina has been a safe bet for the Republicans. As of the2024 presidential election[update], this is the last election in whichCharleston County voted for a Republican presidential candidate.
| 2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina[8] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | George W. Bush (incumbent) | 937,974 | 57.98% | 8 | |
| Democratic | John Kerry | 661,699 | 40.90% | 0 | |
| Independent | Ralph Nader | 5,520 | 0.34% | 0 | |
| Constitution | Michael Peroutka | 5,317 | 0.33% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Michael Badnarik | 3,608 | 0.22% | 0 | |
| United Citizens | Walt Brown | 2,124 | 0.13% | 0 | |
| Green | David Cobb | 1,488 | 0.09% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,617,730 | 100.00% | 8 | ||
| Voter turnout (Voting age population) | 51.8% | ||||
| County[9] | George W. Bush Republican | John Kerry Democratic | Ralph Nader Independent | Michael Peroutka Constitution | Michael Badnarik Libertarian | Walt Brown United Citizens | David Cobb Green | Margin | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Abbeville | 5,436 | 54.77% | 4,389 | 44.22% | 28 | 0.28% | 38 | 0.38% | 13 | 0.13% | 15 | 0.15% | 6 | 0.06% | 1,047 | 10.55% | 9,925 |
| Aiken | 39,077 | 65.68% | 19,799 | 33.28% | 198 | 0.33% | 145 | 0.24% | 153 | 0.26% | 74 | 0.12% | 46 | 0.08% | 19,278 | 32.40% | 59,492 |
| Allendale | 985 | 27.43% | 2,565 | 71.43% | 6 | 0.17% | 7 | 0.19% | 11 | 0.31% | 13 | 0.36% | 4 | 0.11% | -1,580 | -44.00% | 3,591 |
| Anderson | 43,355 | 66.99% | 20,697 | 31.98% | 224 | 0.35% | 152 | 0.23% | 160 | 0.25% | 75 | 0.12% | 59 | 0.09% | 22,658 | 35.01% | 64,722 |
| Bamberg | 2,138 | 35.42% | 3,841 | 63.63% | 5 | 0.08% | 33 | 0.55% | 5 | 0.08% | 11 | 0.18% | 3 | 0.05% | -1,703 | -28.21% | 6,036 |
| Barnwell | 4,606 | 53.03% | 3,982 | 45.85% | 18 | 0.21% | 51 | 0.59% | 12 | 0.14% | 9 | 0.10% | 7 | 0.08% | 624 | 7.18% | 8,685 |
| Beaufort | 33,331 | 60.34% | 21,505 | 38.93% | 217 | 0.39% | 44 | 0.08% | 87 | 0.16% | 25 | 0.05% | 26 | 0.05% | 11,826 | 21.41% | 55,235 |
| Berkeley | 32,104 | 60.65% | 20,142 | 38.05% | 151 | 0.29% | 343 | 0.65% | 95 | 0.18% | 71 | 0.13% | 31 | 0.06% | 11,962 | 22.60% | 52,937 |
| Calhoun | 3,448 | 49.83% | 3,393 | 49.04% | 25 | 0.36% | 15 | 0.22% | 14 | 0.20% | 16 | 0.23% | 8 | 0.12% | 55 | 0.79% | 6,919 |
| Charleston | 70,297 | 51.57% | 63,758 | 46.77% | 588 | 0.43% | 957 | 0.70% | 407 | 0.30% | 179 | 0.13% | 130 | 0.10% | 6,539 | 4.80% | 136,316 |
| Cherokee | 12,090 | 64.60% | 6,466 | 34.55% | 62 | 0.33% | 29 | 0.15% | 30 | 0.16% | 21 | 0.11% | 16 | 0.09% | 5,624 | 30.05% | 18,714 |
| Chester | 5,798 | 49.43% | 5,790 | 49.36% | 46 | 0.39% | 30 | 0.26% | 26 | 0.22% | 32 | 0.27% | 7 | 0.06% | 8 | 0.07% | 11,729 |
| Chesterfield | 7,252 | 51.62% | 6,729 | 47.90% | 29 | 0.21% | 12 | 0.09% | 14 | 0.10% | 6 | 0.04% | 7 | 0.05% | 523 | 3.72% | 14,049 |
| Clarendon | 6,061 | 45.92% | 7,087 | 53.69% | 21 | 0.16% | 12 | 0.09% | 9 | 0.07% | 8 | 0.06% | 2 | 0.02% | -1,026 | -7.77% | 13,200 |
| Colleton | 7,264 | 51.50% | 6,699 | 47.49% | 56 | 0.40% | 34 | 0.24% | 24 | 0.17% | 20 | 0.14% | 9 | 0.06% | 565 | 4.01% | 14,106 |
| Darlington | 13,416 | 52.71% | 11,829 | 46.47% | 52 | 0.20% | 62 | 0.24% | 47 | 0.18% | 28 | 0.11% | 20 | 0.08% | 1,587 | 6.24% | 25,454 |
| Dillon | 4,301 | 46.57% | 4,832 | 52.32% | 22 | 0.24% | 40 | 0.43% | 12 | 0.13% | 23 | 0.25% | 5 | 0.05% | -531 | -5.75% | 9,235 |
| Dorchester | 26,006 | 62.94% | 14,733 | 35.66% | 148 | 0.36% | 283 | 0.68% | 79 | 0.19% | 37 | 0.09% | 31 | 0.08% | 11,273 | 27.28% | 41,317 |
| Edgefield | 5,611 | 57.57% | 4,051 | 41.57% | 22 | 0.23% | 34 | 0.35% | 16 | 0.16% | 8 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.04% | 1,560 | 16.00% | 9,746 |
| Fairfield | 3,531 | 37.42% | 5,764 | 61.09% | 15 | 0.16% | 77 | 0.82% | 15 | 0.16% | 29 | 0.31% | 4 | 0.04% | -2,233 | -23.67% | 9,435 |
| Florence | 27,689 | 55.89% | 21,442 | 43.28% | 137 | 0.28% | 65 | 0.13% | 101 | 0.20% | 76 | 0.15% | 35 | 0.07% | 6,247 | 12.61% | 49,545 |
| Georgetown | 12,606 | 53.43% | 10,602 | 44.94% | 152 | 0.64% | 36 | 0.15% | 57 | 0.24% | 108 | 0.46% | 32 | 0.14% | 2,004 | 8.49% | 23,593 |
| Greenville | 111,481 | 66.03% | 55,347 | 32.78% | 655 | 0.39% | 566 | 0.34% | 438 | 0.26% | 169 | 0.10% | 177 | 0.10% | 56,134 | 33.25% | 168,833 |
| Greenwood | 14,264 | 60.85% | 8,954 | 38.20% | 77 | 0.33% | 51 | 0.22% | 46 | 0.20% | 33 | 0.14% | 17 | 0.07% | 5,310 | 22.65% | 23,442 |
| Hampton | 3,097 | 38.64% | 4,832 | 60.28% | 11 | 0.14% | 58 | 0.72% | 7 | 0.09% | 9 | 0.11% | 2 | 0.02% | -1,735 | -21.64% | 8,016 |
| Horry | 50,447 | 62.01% | 29,547 | 36.32% | 310 | 0.38% | 575 | 0.71% | 159 | 0.20% | 102 | 0.13% | 207 | 0.25% | 20,900 | 25.69% | 81,347 |
| Jasper | 2,933 | 42.84% | 3,840 | 56.09% | 28 | 0.41% | 8 | 0.12% | 19 | 0.28% | 11 | 0.16% | 7 | 0.10% | -907 | -13.25% | 6,846 |
| Kershaw | 14,160 | 61.79% | 8,515 | 37.16% | 76 | 0.33% | 48 | 0.21% | 61 | 0.27% | 37 | 0.16% | 18 | 0.08% | 5,645 | 24.63% | 22,915 |
| Lancaster | 12,916 | 62.05% | 7,631 | 36.66% | 104 | 0.50% | 52 | 0.25% | 64 | 0.31% | 13 | 0.06% | 34 | 0.16% | 5,285 | 25.39% | 20,814 |
| Laurens | 14,466 | 60.71% | 9,205 | 38.63% | 67 | 0.28% | 44 | 0.18% | 31 | 0.13% | 7 | 0.03% | 9 | 0.04% | 5,261 | 22.08% | 23,829 |
| Lee | 2,901 | 36.73% | 4,960 | 62.80% | 10 | 0.13% | 4 | 0.05% | 6 | 0.08% | 10 | 0.13% | 7 | 0.09% | -2,059 | -26.07% | 7,898 |
| Lexington | 67,132 | 71.85% | 25,393 | 27.18% | 295 | 0.32% | 171 | 0.18% | 255 | 0.27% | 120 | 0.13% | 66 | 0.07% | 41,739 | 44.67% | 93,432 |
| Marion | 5,589 | 41.38% | 7,767 | 57.50% | 29 | 0.21% | 80 | 0.59% | 11 | 0.08% | 24 | 0.18% | 7 | 0.05% | -2,178 | -16.12% | 13,507 |
| Marlboro | 3,423 | 39.99% | 4,984 | 58.22% | 30 | 0.35% | 73 | 0.85% | 14 | 0.16% | 29 | 0.34% | 7 | 0.08% | -1,561 | -18.23% | 8,560 |
| McCormick | 2,396 | 46.78% | 2,648 | 51.70% | 11 | 0.21% | 6 | 0.12% | 8 | 0.16% | 3 | 0.06% | 50 | 0.98% | -252 | -4.92% | 5,122 |
| Newberry | 7,654 | 61.68% | 4,483 | 36.13% | 78 | 0.63% | 42 | 0.34% | 29 | 0.23% | 84 | 0.68% | 39 | 0.31% | 3,171 | 25.55% | 12,409 |
| Oconee | 18,811 | 68.32% | 8,395 | 30.49% | 127 | 0.46% | 72 | 0.26% | 65 | 0.24% | 42 | 0.15% | 20 | 0.07% | 10,416 | 37.83% | 27,532 |
| Orangeburg | 12,695 | 33.80% | 24,698 | 65.75% | 65 | 0.17% | 53 | 0.14% | 29 | 0.08% | 14 | 0.04% | 10 | 0.03% | -12,003 | -31.95% | 37,564 |
| Pickens | 29,759 | 73.46% | 10,287 | 25.39% | 141 | 0.35% | 113 | 0.28% | 130 | 0.32% | 55 | 0.14% | 25 | 0.06% | 19,472 | 48.07% | 40,510 |
| Richland | 56,212 | 42.01% | 76,283 | 57.01% | 467 | 0.35% | 227 | 0.17% | 313 | 0.23% | 174 | 0.13% | 125 | 0.09% | -20,071 | -15.00% | 133,801 |
| Saluda | 4,537 | 59.87% | 3,001 | 39.60% | 24 | 0.32% | 5 | 0.07% | 6 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.01% | 4 | 0.05% | 1,536 | 20.27% | 7,578 |
| Spartanburg | 62,004 | 64.08% | 33,633 | 34.76% | 300 | 0.31% | 368 | 0.38% | 226 | 0.23% | 159 | 0.16% | 68 | 0.07% | 28,371 | 29.32% | 96,758 |
| Sumter | 18,074 | 48.84% | 18,695 | 50.52% | 74 | 0.20% | 41 | 0.11% | 64 | 0.17% | 32 | 0.09% | 23 | 0.06% | -621 | -1.68% | 37,003 |
| Union | 6,592 | 55.24% | 5,236 | 43.87% | 35 | 0.29% | 27 | 0.23% | 15 | 0.13% | 16 | 0.13% | 13 | 0.11% | 1,356 | 11.37% | 11,934 |
| Williamsburg | 4,795 | 34.45% | 9,044 | 64.98% | 25 | 0.18% | 13 | 0.09% | 19 | 0.14% | 15 | 0.11% | 7 | 0.05% | -4,249 | -30.53% | 13,918 |
| York | 45,234 | 64.45% | 24,226 | 34.52% | 259 | 0.37% | 121 | 0.17% | 206 | 0.29% | 81 | 0.12% | 54 | 0.08% | 21,008 | 29.93% | 70,181 |
| Totals | 937,974 | 57.98% | 661,699 | 40.90% | 5,520 | 0.34% | 5,317 | 0.33% | 3,608 | 0.22% | 2,124 | 0.13% | 1,488 | 0.09% | 276,275 | 17.08% | 1,617,730 |
| Democratic Hold Gain from Republican | Republican Hold Gain from Democratic |
Bush won five of six congressional districts including one that elected a Democrat.[10]
| District | Bush | Kerry | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 61% | 38% | Henry E. Brown Jr. |
| 2nd | 60% | 39% | Joe Wilson |
| 3rd | 65% | 34% | Gresham Barrett |
| 4th | 65% | 34% | Jim DeMint |
| Bob Inglis | |||
| 5th | 58% | 41% | John Spratt |
| 6th | 39% | 60% | Jim Clyburn |
Technically the voters of South Carolina cast their ballots for electors: representatives to theElectoral College. South Carolina is allocated 8 electors because it has 6congressional districts and 2senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 8 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 8 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as afaithless elector.
The electors of each state and theDistrict of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 8 were pledged for Bush/Cheney.
State and district results of the2004 United States presidential election | ||
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