The 1896 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina were held on November 3, 1896 to select seven Representatives for two-year terms from the state of South Carolina. Five Democratic incumbents were re-elected, one Republican incumbent was defeated, and the open seat was retained by the Democrats. The composition of the state delegation after the election was solely Democratic.
Incumbent Republican Congressman George W. Murray of the 1st congressional district, in office since 1896, was defeated by Democratic challenger William Elliott.
General election results[]
South Carolina's 1st congressional district election results, 1896
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
William Elliott
4,652
63.7
+4.6
Reorganized Republican
George W. Murray (incumbent)
2,478
33.9
N/A
Republican
W. Cecil Cohen
173
2.4
N/A
No party
Write-Ins
2
0.0
0.0
Majority
2,174
29.8
+11.6
Turnout
7,305
Democraticgain from Republican
2nd congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman W. Jasper Talbert of the 2nd congressional district, in office since 1893, defeated Republican challenger B.P. Chatfield.
General election results[]
South Carolina's 2nd congressional district election results, 1896
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
W. Jasper Talbert (incumbent)
7,999
92.4
-7.1
Republican
B.P. Chatfield
635
7.3
+7.3
No party
Write-Ins
21
0.3
-0.2
Majority
7,364
85.1
-13.9
Turnout
8,655
Democratichold
3rd congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Asbury Latimer of the 3rd congressional district, in office since 1893, won the Democratic primary and defeated two Republican candidates in the general election.
Democratic primary[]
Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Asbury Latimer
9,136
67.7
William T. Wideman
1,955
14.5
Joseph L. Keitt
1,255
9.3
J.W. Bowden
1,152
8.5
General election results[]
South Carolina's 3rd congressional district election results, 1896
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Asbury Latimer (incumbent)
9,746
92.0
+10.7
Republican
A.C. Merreck
659
6.2
N/A
Reorganized Republican
Clarence Gray
192
1.8
N/A
Majority
9,087
85.8
+18.4
Turnout
10,597
Democratichold
4th congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Stanyarne Wilson of the 4th congressional district, in office since 1895, won the Democratic primary and defeated two Republican candidates in the general election.
Democratic primary[]
Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Stanyarne Wilson
9,500
62.3
Joseph T. Johnson
5,694
37.3
Hugh L. Farley
63
0.4
General election results[]
South Carolina's 4th congressional district election results, 1896
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Stanyarne Wilson (incumbent)
11,230
92.2
+17.1
Republican
P.S. Suber
507
4.2
N/A
Reorganized Republican
D.T. Bounds
443
3.6
N/A
No party
Write-Ins
1
0.0
-0.2
Majority
10,723
88.0
+37.6
Turnout
12,181
Democratichold
5th congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Thomas J. Strait of the 5th congressional district, in office since 1893, won the Democratic primary and defeated Republican John F. Jones in the general election.
Democratic primary[]
Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Thomas J. Strait
5,362
46.7
David E. Finley
3,585
31.3
W.D. Trantham
2,520
22.0
Democratic primary runoff
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Thomas J. Strait
6,291
57.3
+10.6
David E. Finley
4,691
42.7
+11.4
General election results[]
South Carolina's 5th congressional district election results, 1896
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Thomas J. Strait (incumbent)
8,511
91.0
+23.4
Republican
John F. Jones
838
9.0
-8.0
Majority
7,673
82.0
+31.4
Turnout
9,349
Democratichold
6th congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman John L. McLaurin of the 6th congressional district, in office since 1893, defeated two Republican candidates in the general election.
General election results[]
South Carolina's 6th congressional district election results, 1896
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
John L. McLaurin (incumbent)
9,725
87.7
+10.8
Republican
J.E. Wilson
878
7.9
N/A
Reorganized Republican
George Henry McKie
482
4.3
N/A
No party
Write-Ins
9
0.1
+0.1
Majority
8,847
79.8
+26.0
Turnout
11,094
Democratichold
7th congressional district special election[]
The seat for the 7th congressional district was declared vacant by the Republican controlled Congress in 1896. A special election was called to be held simultaneously with the regular election and J. William Stokes defeated two Republican candidates in the election.
General election results[]
South Carolina's 7th congressional district special election results, 1896
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
J. William Stokes
8,223
88.2
+15.2
Republican
T.B. Johnson
1,068
11.5
N/A
Independent Republican
D.A. Perrin
26
0.3
N/A
No party
Write-Ins
1
0.0
-0.7
Majority
7,155
76.7
+30.0
Turnout
9,318
Democratichold
7th congressional district[]
J. William Stokes, the winner of the previous election for the 7th congressional district, defeated Altamount Moses in the Democratic primary and two Republican candidates in the general election.
Democratic primary[]
Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
J. William Stokes
3,302
53.6
Altamount Moses
2,855
46.4
General election results[]
South Carolina's 7th congressional district election results, 1896
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
J. William Stokes
8,065
85.6
-2.6
Republican
T.B. Johnson
1,342
14.2
+2.7
Independent Republican
D.A. Perrin
22
0.2
-0.1
Majority
6,723
71.4
-5.3
Turnout
9,429
Democratichold
See also[]
United States House of Representatives elections, 1896
Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962. pp. 103–104, 109, 113, 122.
"Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina. Election Returns." Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina at the Regular Session Commencing January 12, 1897. Volume I. Columbia, SC: 1897, pp. 4–7.