The 1958 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1958 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Ernest Hollings won the Democratic primary against rival Donald S. Russell and ran unopposed in the general election becoming the 106th governor.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Fritz Hollings, Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina and former State Representative from Charleston, later elected to the US Senate in 1966. William C. Johnston Donald S. Russell, former President of the University of South Carolina and Assistant United States Secretary of State for Administration
The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor in the summer of 1958 and it became a heated contest between Lieutenant Governor Ernest Hollings and the former president of the University of South Carolina, Donald S. Russell. Hollings emerged victorious from the runoff and effectively became the next governor of South Carolina because there was no opposition in the general election.
Democratic PrimaryCandidateVotes% Ernest Hollings 158,159 41.9 Donald S. Russell 132,099 35.0 William C. Johnston 86,981 23.1
Results Democratic Primary RunoffCandidateVotes%±% Ernest Hollings 190,691 56.8 +14.9 Donald S. Russell 145,162 43.2 +8.2
General election The general election was held on November 4, 1958 and Ernest Hollings was elected the next governor of South Carolina without opposition. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout was much lower than the Democratic primary election.
| 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 and Resolutions of South Carolina to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume I. Columbia, South Carolina: 1959, p. 8.
External links SCIway Biography of Governor Ernest Frederick Hollings