The 1902 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1902, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Duncan Clinch Heyward won the Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election to become the 88th governor of South Carolina.
The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on August 26 and Duncan Clinch Heyward emerged as the frontrunner. His victory against W. Jasper Talbert, a congressman of the 2nd congressional district, in the runoff on September 9 came as a surprise because Heyward was relatively unknown outside of Colleton County. Heyward, an aristocratic planter, attributed his win due to running a "clean and sincere campaign."[1]
Democratic Primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Duncan Clinch Heyward
36,551
38.3
W. Jasper Talbert
18,218
19.1
Martin Frederick Ansel
17,685
18.6
James H. Tillman
16,398
17.2
6,515
6.8
Democratic Primary Runoff
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Duncan Clinch Heyward
50,662
55.6
+17.3
W. Jasper Talbert
40,490
44.4
+25.3
General election[]
The general election was held on November 4, 1902, and Duncan Clinch Heyward was elected the next governor of South Carolina without opposition. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout was much less than the previous gubernatorial election.
Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876–1962. pp. 22–24.
"State Primary Election". The News and Courier. 30 August 1902. p. 1.
"Now We Know Who is Who!". The News and Courier. 12 September 1902. p. 1.
"Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume II. Columbia, South Carolina: 1903, pp. 1374–1375.