The 1992 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 3, 1992. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings won reelection to his sixth (his fifth full) term. Apart from Hollings's first election to the Senate in 1966, this was the closest election of his Senate career. This is the last time that South Carolina simultaneously voted for presidential and U.S. Senate candidates of different political parties.
Republican primary
Candidates Thomas F. Hartnett, former U.S. representative from the 1st congressional district Charlie E. Thompson, teacher
Republican primaryCandidateVotes% Thomas F. Hartnett 123,572 76.8% Charlie E. Thompson 37,352 23.2%
General election
Candidates
Major Thomas Hartnett (R), former U.S. representative Fritz Hollings (D), incumbent U.S. senator
Minor Robert Clarkson (American) Mark Johnson (Libertarian)
Campaign The race between Hollings and Hartnett was between two politicians from the Lowcountry. Hartnett attacked Hollings for co-sponsoring a bill in 1983 that would have outlawed discrimination against homosexuals and Hollings shot back about questions of Hartnett's integrity for pushing for military contracts with a firm he had ties with in North Charleston. The anti-incumbency mood helped to bring Hartnett close to topping Hollings in the general election, but South Carolina voters traditionally support their incumbent politicians and Hollings was elected for another six-year term, albeit with a much reduced margin.
Results
| colspan=5 |Democratic hold
See also List of United States senators from South Carolina 1992 United States Senate elections
References