1980 United States Senate election in South Carolina

none March 2026 September 2023 1980 United States Senate election in South Carolina South Carolina presidential no 1974 United States Senate election in South Carolina 1974 1986 United States Senate election in South Carolina 1986 November 4, 1980 150x150px FritzHollings.jpg Ernest Hollings Democratic Party (United States) 612,556 70.36% 3x4.svg Marshall Mays Republican Party (United States) 257,946 29.63% 1980 United States Senate election in South Carolina results map by county.svg 230px County resultsHollings: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% U.S. Senator Ernest Hollings Democratic Party (United States) Ernest Hollings Democratic Party (United States) The 1980 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 4, 1980, to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Incumbent Democratic Senator Fritz Hollings easily defeated Republican challenger Marshall Mays to win his fourth (his third full) term. Democratic primary The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for Senator on June 10, 1980. Fritz Hollings, the incumbent Senator, won the Democratic primary against two minor candidates; Nettie Durant Dickerson and William Kreml. Democratic PrimaryCandidateVotes% Fritz Hollings 266,796 81.2% Nettie Durant Dickerson 34,720 10.6% William P. Kreml 27,049 8.2% Republican primary The South Carolina Republican Party held their primary on June 10, 1980. Marshall Mays, a former state legislator, emerged as the frontrunner and went on to defeat Charlie Rhodes in the runoff election on June 24. Republican PrimaryCandidateVotes% Marshall Mays 14,075 42.6% Charlie Rhodes 11,395 34.5% Robert Carley 7,575 22.9% Republican Primary RunoffCandidateVotes%±% Marshall Mays 6,853 64.8% +22.2% Charlie Rhodes 3,717 35.2% +0.7% General election campaign The Republican Party did not see the race as winnable and Mays received little assistance for his campaign. Hollings did little campaigning for the race and easily won re-election in the midst of an otherwise strong Republican year. General election results South Carolina U.S. Senate Election, 1980 Democratic Party (United States) Fritz Hollings (incumbent) 612,556 70.36% +0.92% Republican Party (United States) Marshall Mays 257,946 29.63% +0.95% No party Write-Ins 94 0.01% N/A 354,610 40.73% -0.03% 870,596 70.5% +19.2% |- | Democratic Party (United States) | colspan=5 | Democratic hold |- See also 1980 United States Senate elections List of United States senators from South Carolina References State Election Commission Report of the South Carolina Election Commission for the Period Ending June 30, 1981 1981 Columbia, SC 30, 33, 35, 37 1980 South Carolina Category:1980 South Carolina elections