The 1966 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 8, 1966 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina simultaneously with the special election to fill out the remainder of Olin D. Johnston's term. Incumbent Senator Strom Thurmond, who had switched parties from Democratic to Republican in 1964, easily defeated state senator in the general election.
The two Democrats who could have defeated Thurmond competed against each other in the special election to serve the remaining two years of Olin D. Johnston's six-year term. As a result, little known state senator Bradley Morrah of Greenville won the South Carolina Democratic Partyprimary election on June 14 against John Bolt Culbertson to become the nominee in the general election.
Democratic primary
Candidate
Votes
%
Bradley Morrah
167,401
55.9%
John Bolt Culbertson
131,870
44.1%
Republican primary[]
Senator Strom Thurmond faced no opposition from South Carolina Republicans and avoided a primary election.
General election campaign[]
Morrah faced an uphill struggle against Senator Thurmond because the Democratic resources were primarily poured into the special election to help Fritz Hollings and in the gubernatorial contest for Robert Evander McNair. Furthermore, Thurmond refused to debate Morrah and Thurmond boasted of the endorsements he received from Southern Democratic Senators Richard Russell, Jr., John C. Stennis, and Herman Talmadge. Morrah was easily dispatched by Thurmond in the general election and he also lost re-election to his state senate seat. He would never again hold public office, which was a routine occurrence for Thurmond's opponents. This was the first time South Carolina popularly elected a Republican senator.
Election results[]
South Carolina U.S. Senate Election, 1966
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±%
Republican
Strom Thurmond (incumbent)
271,297
62.2%
+62.2%
Democratic
Bradley Morrah
164,955
37.8%
-62.2%
Majority
106,342
24.4%
-75.6%
Turnout
436,252
49.1%
-6.3%
Republicanhold
See also[]
List of United States senators from South Carolina
United States Senate elections, 1966
United States Senate special election in South Carolina, 1966
South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1966
References[]
"Supplemental Report of the Secretary of State to the General Assembly of South Carolina." Reports and Resolutions of South Carolina to the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. Volume II. Columbia, SC: 1967, pp. 16, 41.
Bass, Jack; Marilyn W. Thompson (1998). Ol' Strom: An Unauthorized Biography of Strom Thurmond. Longstreet. pp. 222–223.