The 1930 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1930, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Ibra Charles Blackwood won the contested Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election becoming the 97th governor of South Carolina.
Democratic primary Candidates Ibra Charles Blackwood, attorney, former State Representative from Spartanburg and candidate for Governor in 1926 R. Beverly Herbert Olin D. Johnston, State Representative from Spartanburg William H. Keith A. Frank Lever, former U.S. Representative from Lexington John J. McMahan W.W. Smoak Ashton H. Williams
The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor in the summer of 1930 and it attracted many politicians because of the change in 1926 to the South Carolina constitution providing for a four-year term. Blackwood emerged victorious from the closely contested runoff against Olin D. Johnston and effectively became the next governor of South Carolina because there was no opposition in the general election.
Democratic PrimaryCandidateVotes% Olin D. Johnston 58,653 24.9 Ibra Charles Blackwood 43,859 18.6 Asbury Francis Lever 39,477 16.7 Ashton H. Williams 36,488 15.5 William H. Keith 28,780 12.2 R. Beverly Herbert 17,102 7.3 W.W. Smoak 10,193 4.3 John J. McMahan 1,113 0.5
Democratic Primary RunoffCandidateVotes%±% Ibra Charles Blackwood 118,721 50.2 +31.6 Olin D. Johnston 117,752 49.8 +24.9
General election The general election was held on November 4, 1930, and Ibra Charles Blackwood was elected the next governor of South Carolina without opposition on account of South Carolina's effective status as a one-party state. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout was the second lowest ever for a gubernatorial election in South Carolina.
| colspan=5 |Democratic hold
See also Governor of South Carolina List of governors of South Carolina South Carolina gubernatorial elections
References
"Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports of State Officers Boards and Committees to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume I. Columbia, South Carolina: 1931, p. 10.
External links SCIway Biography of Governor Ibra Charles Blackwood