The 1932 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 8.
On September 13, incumbent Senator Ellison D. Smith defeated former Senator Cole Blease in the Democratic primary with 56.7% of the vote.
At this time, South Carolina was a one-party state, and the Democratic nomination was tantamount to victory. Smith won the November general election without any effort.
Democratic primary Candidates Coleman Livingston Blease, former U.S. Senator and Governor of South Carolina Leon W. Harris, candidate for U.S. Senate in 1930 Ellison D. Smith, incumbent Senator since 1909 Ashton Hilliard Williams, former State Senator from Lake City
Results Democratic PrimaryCandidateVotes% Ellison D. Smith 100,270 37.0 Coleman Livingston Blease 81,297 30.0 Ashton H. Williams 48,084 17.7 Leon W. Harris 41,478 15.3
Runoff Democratic Primary RunoffCandidateVotes%±% Ellison D. Smith 150,468 56.7 +19.7 Coleman Livingston Blease 114,840 43.3 +13.3
General election Campaign Since the end of Reconstruction in 1877, the Democratic Party dominated the politics of South Carolina and its statewide candidates were never seriously challenged. Smith did not campaign for the general election as there was no chance of defeat. Republican Clara Harrigal, an Aiken businesswoman and Republican National Committeewoman, was the first woman to run for statewide office in South Carolina.
Results
| colspan=5 |Democratic hold
See also List of United States senators from South Carolina 1932 United States Senate elections 1932 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina
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, SC: 1933, p. 6.