The 1938 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina were held on November 8, 1938, to select six Representatives for two-year terms from the state of South Carolina. The primary elections were held on August 30 and the runoff elections were held two weeks later on September 13. Three incumbents were re-elected, but two incumbents were defeated in the Democratic primary. The three open seats were retained by the Democrats and the composition of the state delegation thus remained solely Democratic.
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Thomas S. McMillan of the 1st congressional district, in office since 1925, defeated A. Russell McGowan in the Democratic primary and Republican B.L. Hendrix in the general election.
Democratic primary[]
Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Thomas S. McMillan
29,173
62.8
A. Russell McGowan
17,255
37.2
General election results[]
South Carolina's 1st congressional district election results, 1938
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Thomas S. McMillan (incumbent)
7,649
98.2
+1.3
Republican
B.L. Hendrix
136
1.8
-1.3
No party
Write-Ins
3
0.0
0.0
Majority
7,513
96.4
+1.4
Turnout
7,788
Democratichold
2nd congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Hampton P. Fulmer of the 2nd congressional district, in office since 1921, defeated former Lieutenant Governor in the Democratic primary and Republican S.J. Leaphart in the general election.
Democratic primary[]
Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Hampton P. Fulmer
42,058
71.4
16,868
28.6
General election results[]
South Carolina's 2nd congressional district election results, 1938
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Hampton P. Fulmer (incumbent)
7,236
98.8
+0.5
Republican
S.J. Leaphart
26
0.3
-1.4
No party
Write-Ins
63
0.9
+0.9
Majority
7,210
98.5
+1.3
Turnout
7,325
Democratichold
3rd congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman John C. Taylor of the 3rd congressional district, in office since 1933, was defeated in the Democratic primary by Butler B. Hare who defeated Republican O.B. Menees in the general election.
Democratic primary[]
Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
John C. Taylor
22,164
40.6
Butler B. Hare
18,556
34.0
Theo H. Vaughn
10,407
19.1
Robert E. McCaslan
3,445
6.3
Democratic primary runoff
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Butler B. Hare
29,852
55.7
+21.7
John C. Taylor
23,732
44.3
+3.7
General election results[]
South Carolina's 3rd congressional district election results, 1938
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Butler B. Hare
10,028
99.6
+0.6
Republican
O.B. Menees
43
0.4
-0.6
Majority
9,985
99.2
+0.8
Turnout
10,071
Democratichold
4th congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Gabriel H. Mahon, Jr. of the 4th congressional district, in office since 1937, was defeated in the Democratic primary by Joseph R. Bryson who defeated Republican H.A. Costner in the general election. The first primary had the two candidates only separated by 8 votes so the South Carolina Democratic Party Executive Committee ordered a new race instead of a recount, which Bryson clearly won.
Democratic primary[]
1st Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Joseph R. Bryson
31,634
50.0
Gabriel H. Mahon, Jr.
31,626
50.0
2nd Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Joseph R. Bryson
35,948
54.5
Gabriel H. Mahon, Jr.
29,967
45.5
General election results[]
South Carolina's 4th congressional district election results, 1938
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
Joseph R. Bryson
8,995
99.4
+0.5
Republican
H.A. Costner
58
0.6
-0.5
Majority
8,937
98.8
+0.5
Turnout
9,053
Democratichold
5th congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congressman James P. Richards of the 5th congressional district, in office since 1933, defeated Republican challenger A.B. McCraw.
General election results[]
South Carolina's 5th congressional district election results, 1938
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
James P. Richards (incumbent)
6,191
99.8
+0.6
Republican
A.B. McCraw
13
0.2
-0.6
Majority
6,178
99.6
+1.1
Turnout
6,204
Democratichold
6th congressional district[]
Incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Elizabeth Hawley Gasque of the 6th congressional district succeeded her husband, Allard H. Gasque, in office upon his death in 1938 and she did not seek re-election. John L. McMillan won the Democratic primary and defeated Republican W.S. Thompson in the general election.
Democratic primary[]
Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Lloyd Ford
19,581
35.3
John L. McMillan
15,578
28.1
James R. Turner
7,183
12.9
Jerome P. Pate
5,771
10.4
Earl Ellerbe
4,809
8.7
D.F. Hogan
2,558
4.6
Democratic primary runoff
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
John L. McMillan
27,083
51.9
+23.8
Lloyd Ford
25,068
48.1
+12.8
General election results[]
South Carolina's 6th congressional district election results, 1938
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Democratic
John L. McMillan
5,707
99.2
-0.1
Republican
W.S. Thompson
48
0.8
+0.1
Majority
5,659
98.4
-0.4
Turnout
5,755
Democratichold
See also[]
United States House of Representatives elections, 1938
United States Senate election in South Carolina, 1938
Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962. pp. 99, 106, 111, 120, 124.
"Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Report of the State Officers Boards and Committees to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume I. Columbia, SC: 1939, pp. 7–9.