The 1930 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1930, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Ibra Charles Blackwood won the contested Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election becoming the 97th governor of South Carolina.
The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor in the summer of 1930 and it attracted many politicians because of the change in 1926 to the South Carolina constitution providing for a four-year term. Blackwood emerged victorious from the closely contested runoff against Olin D. Johnston and effectively became the next governor of South Carolina because there was no opposition in the general election.
Democratic Primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Olin D. Johnston
58,653
24.9
Ibra Charles Blackwood
43,859
18.6
Asbury Francis Lever
39,477
16.7
Ashton H. Williams
36,488
15.5
William H. Keith
28,780
12.2
R. Beverly Herbert
17,102
7.3
W.W. Smoak
10,193
4.3
John J. McMahan
1,113
0.5
Democratic Primary Runoff
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Ibra Charles Blackwood
118,721
50.2
+31.6
Olin D. Johnston
117,752
49.8
+24.9
General election[]
The general election was held on November 4, 1930, and Ibra Charles Blackwood was elected the next governor of South Carolinawithout opposition on account of South Carolina's effective status as a one-party state. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout was the second lowest ever for a gubernatorial election in South Carolina.
Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876–1962. pp. 38–40.
"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, South Carolina: 1931, p. 10.