1956 United States Senate election in South Carolina

none March 2026 September 2023 1956 United States Senate election in South Carolina South Carolina presidential no 1950 United States Senate election in South Carolina 1950 1962 United States Senate election in South Carolina 1962 November 6, 1956 File:Olin D. Johnston, seated portrait (cropped).jpg 150x150px Olin D. Johnston Democratic Party (United States) 230,150 82.21% 3x4.svg Leon P. Crawford Republican Party (United States) 49,695 17.75% U.S. Senator 1956 United States Senate election in South Carolina results map by county.svg County resultsJohnston: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% #0d056c >90% 230px Olin D. Johnston Democratic Party (US) Olin D. Johnston Democratic Party (US) The 1956 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 6, 1956, to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina simultaneously with the special Senate election. Incumbent Democratic Senator Olin D. Johnston handily defeated Republican mayor of Clemson Leon P. Crawford. Democratic primary Olin D. Johnston, the incumbent Senator, faced no opposition from South Carolina Democrats and avoided a primary election. Republican primary Leon P. Crawford, the mayor of the town of Clemson in the Upstate, faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election. General election campaign Crawford campaigned as a defender of states' rights and denounced Johnston for backing the New Deal and the Fair Deal. The state Republican Party believed that Crawford could have a chance in the election if he galvanized the 128,000 registered black voters, although they were weary of being labeled as the black party. In the end, Johnston remained highly popular with the voters who were still leery of the Republican party and he easily defeated Crawford in the general election. Election results South Carolina U.S. Senate Election, 1956 Democratic Party (United States) Olin D. Johnston (incumbent) 230,150 82.21% -17.72% Republican Party (United States) Leon P. Crawford 49,695 17.75% N/A No party Write-Ins 124 0.04% N/A 180,455 64.46% -35.39% 279,969 36.8 |- | Democratic Party (United States) | colspan=5 |Democratic hold |- See also List of United States senators from South Carolina 1956 United States Senate elections 1956 United States Senate special election in South Carolina 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, SC: 1957, pp. 8–9. Kalk Bruce H. The Origins of the Southern Strategy: Two-Party Competition in South 2001 Lexington Books 30, 33 South C 1956 Category:1956 South Carolina elections