2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina

2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina

← 2000 November 2, 2004 2008 →

Nominee George W. Bush John Kerry Party Republican Democratic Home state Texas Massachusetts Running mate Dick Cheney John Edwards Electoral vote 8 0 Popular vote 937,974 661,699 Percentage 57.98% 40.90%

County Results Bush   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80% Kerry   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%

President before election George W. Bush Republican Elected President George W. Bush Republican

The 2004 United States presidential election in South Carolina took place on November 2, 2004, as part of the 2004 United States presidential election which took place throughout all 50 states and D.C. Voters chose eight representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

South Carolina was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 17.08% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise a red state. No Democrat had won this state since 1976. On election day, Bush won a majority of the counties and congressional districts in the state. The results were very similar to the state's results in 2000, and interestingly very similar to the results in neighboring Georgia this election, although Democratic Senator John Edwards of the bordering state of North Carolina was chosen as the vice presidential nominee. Bush won Greenville County, the largest county in the state, by a margin of 33.23%.

Primaries[]

For both parties in 2004, South Carolina's was the first primary in a Southern state and the first primary in a state in which African Americans make up a sizable percentage of the electorate.

South Carolina Democratic primary, 2004

← 2000 February 3, 2004 (2004-02-03) 2008 →

Nominee John Edwards John Kerry Al Sharpton Home state North Carolina Massachusetts New York Popular vote 131,174 88,508 28,201 Percentage 44.86% 30.27% 9.65%

Election results by county. Red denotes counties won by Edwards, and Blue denotes those won by Kerry.

The Democratic primary was held on February 3, with 45 delegates at stake.^[1] It was held on the same day as six other primaries and caucuses.

South Carolina's 45 delegates to the 2004 Democratic National Convention were awarded proportionally based on the results of the primary. The state also sent ten superdelegates.

Candidates[]

• General Wesley Clark of Arkansas
• Former Governor Howard Dean of Vermont
• Senator John Edwards of North Carolina
• Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts
• Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio
• Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, 2000 Democratic Party vice-presidential candidate
• Reverend Al Sharpton of New York

Withdrawn[]

• Representative Dick Gephardt of Missouri, former House Minority Leader
• Former Senator and Ambassador Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois

Results[]

Campaign[]

Predictions[]

Elections in South Carolina
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There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.^[2]

1. D.C. Political Report: Solid Republican
2. Associated Press: Solid Bush
3. CNN: Bush
4. Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
5. Newsweek: Solid Bush
6. New York Times: Solid Bush
7. Rasmussen Reports: Bush
8. Research 2000: Solid Bush
9. Washington Post: Bush
10. Washington Times: Solid Bush
11. Zogby International: Bush
12. Washington Dispatch: Bush

Polling[]

Bush won every pre-election poll, each with a double-digit margin (except for one) and with at least 49% of the vote. The final 3 poll average showed Bush leading 55% to 41%.^[3]

Fundraising[]

Bush raised $3,113,641.^[4] Kerry raised $533,966.^[5]

Advertising and visits[]

Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.^[6][7]

Analysis[]

South Carolina, historically part of the Solid South, has become a Republican stronghold in the past few presidential elections. Since Barry Goldwater carried the state in 1964, the only Democratic presidential nominee to win it was Jimmy Carter of neighboring Georgia in 1976. Since then, the Palmetto State has been a safe bet for the Republicans. As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which Charleston County voted for the Republican candidate.

Results[]

Results breakdown[]

By county[]

By congressional district[]

Bush won 5 of 6 congressional districts including a district won by a Democratic representative

Electors[]

Technically the voters of South Carolina cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. South Carolina is allocated 8 electors because it has 6 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 8 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 8 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All 8 were pledged for Bush/Cheney.

1. Katon Dawson
2. Buddy Witherspoon
3. Wayland Moody
4. Thomas McLean
5. Brenda Bedenbaugh
6. Edwin Foulke
7. Robert Reagan
8. Drew McKissick

References[]