United States presidential election in South Carolina, 2004

United States presidential election in South Carolina, 2004
South Carolina
November 2, 2004
 
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 58.0% 40.9%

County Results
  Kerry—70-80%
  Kerry—60-70%
  Kerry—50-60%
  Bush—<50%
  Bush—50-60%
  Bush—60-70%
  Bush—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 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 8 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 17.1% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a safe 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 states' results in 2000, despite the fact that Democratic Senator John Edwards of the bordering state of North Carolina was chosen as the vice presidential nominee.

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
South Carolina
February 3, 2004 (2004-02-03)
 
Nominee John Edwards John Kerry Al Sharpton
Party Democratic Democratic Democratic
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. Light Blue 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

Withdrawn

Results

Key: Withdrew
prior to contest
South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, 2004[1]
Candidate Votes Percentage National delegates[1]
John Edwards 131,174 44.86% 28
John Kerry 88,508 30.27% 17
Al Sharpton 28,201 9.65% 0
Wesley Clark 21,011 7.19% 0
Howard Dean 13,815 4.72% 0
Joe Lieberman 7,147 2.44% 0
Dennis Kucinich 1,319 0.45% 0
Dick Gephardt 631 0.22% 0
Carol Moseley-Braun 577 0.20% 0
Totals 292,383 100.00% 45

Campaign

Predictions

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.

Results

United States presidential election in South Carolina, 2004
Party Candidate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican George W. Bush 937,974 58.0% 8
Democratic John Kerry 661,699 40.9% 0
Independent Ralph Nader 5,520 0.3% 0
Constitution Michael Peroutka 5,317 0.3% 0
Libertarian Michael Badnarik 3,608 0.2% 0
United Citizens Walt Brown 2,124 0.1% 0
Green David Cobb 1,488 0.1% 0
Totals - 100.00% 8
Voter turnout (Voting age population) 51.8%

Results breakdown

By county

County Bush# Bush% Kerry# Kerry% Others# Others% Total#
Abbeville 5,435 54.77% 4,389 44.23% 100 1.01% 9,924
Aiken 38,912 65.72% 19,687 33.25% 613 1.04% 59,212
Allendale 984 27.42% 2,563 71.43% 41 1.14% 3,588
Anderson 43,313 66.99% 20,670 31.97% 670 1.04% 64,653
Bamberg 2,135 35.41% 3,837 63.64% 57 0.95% 6,029
Barnwell 4,602 53.03% 3,979 45.85% 97 1.12% 8,678
Beaufort 28,018 60.58% 17,880 38.66% 348 0.75% 46,246
Berkeley 29,165 60.64% 18,289 38.03% 641 1.33% 48,095
Calhoun 3,447 49.85% 3,390 49.02% 78 1.13% 6,915
Charleston 61,787 51.25% 56,636 46.98% 2,129 1.77% 120,552
Cherokee 12,064 64.63% 6,443 34.52% 158 0.85% 18,665
Chester 5,205 49.43% 5,200 49.38% 126 1.20% 10,531
Chesterfield 7,176 51.68% 6,642 47.84% 67 0.48% 13,885
Clarendon 6,035 45.94% 7,050 53.67% 51 0.39% 13,136
Colleton 7,242 51.52% 6,672 47.46% 144 1.02% 14,058
Darlington 13,406 52.73% 11,811 46.45% 209 0.82% 25,426
Dillon 4,293 46.53% 4,831 52.36% 102 1.11% 9,226
Dorchester 26,006 62.94% 14,733 35.66% 578 1.40% 41,317
Edgefield 5,611 57.57% 4,051 41.57% 84 0.86% 9,746
Fairfield 3,173 36.34% 5,423 62.11% 135 1.55% 8,731
Florence 27,488 55.91% 21,267 43.25% 412 0.84% 49,167
Georgetown 12,420 53.40% 10,456 44.96% 382 1.64% 23,258
Greenville 109,292 66.02% 54,286 32.79% 1,961 1.18% 165,539
Greenwood 14,136 60.89% 8,859 38.16% 221 0.95% 23,216
Hampton 2,798 40.09% 4,096 58.69% 85 1.22% 6,979
Horry 50,382 62.03% 29,489 36.31% 1,346 1.66% 81,217
Jasper 2,929 42.89% 3,828 56.06% 72 1.05% 6,829
Kershaw 14,160 61.53% 8,515 37.00% 340 1.48% 23,015
Lancaster 11,883 61.96% 7,043 36.72% 253 1.32% 19,179
Laurens 14,367 60.80% 9,109 38.55% 154 0.65% 23,630
Lee 2,611 36.16% 4,577 63.39% 32 0.44% 7,220
Lexington 66,991 71.86% 25,334 27.18% 899 0.96% 93,224
Marion 2,073 49.45% 2,071 49.40% 48 1.15% 4,192
Marlboro 3,423 39.95% 4,984 58.17% 161 1.88% 8,568
McCormick 2,443 47.82% 2,643 51.73% 23 0.45% 5,109
Newberry 7,257 61.54% 4,273 36.23% 263 2.23% 11,793
Oconee 18,715 68.39% 8,326 30.43% 323 1.18% 27,364
Orangeburg 12,676 33.80% 24,655 65.74% 171 0.46% 37,502
Pickens 29,706 73.46% 10,272 25.40% 461 1.14% 40,439
Richland 47,390 41.71% 65,098 57.30% 1,130 0.99% 113,618
Saluda 3,496 61.41% 2,183 38.35% 14 0.25% 5,693
Spartanburg 61,892 64.10% 33,545 34.74% 1,121 1.16% 96,558
Sumter 17,905 48.76% 18,582 50.60% 236 0.64% 36,723
Union 6,592 56.18% 5,036 42.92% 106 0.90% 11,734
Williamsburg 4,793 34.45% 9,039 64.98% 79 0.57% 13,911
York 45,180 64.45% 24,201 34.52% 720 1.03% 70,101

By congressional district

Bush won 5 of 6 congressional districts.

District Bush Kerry Representative
1st 61% 39% Henry E. Brown, Jr.
2nd 60% 39% Joe Wilson
3rd 66% 34% J. Gresham Barrett
4th 65% 34% Jim Demint
Bob Inglis
5th 57% 42% John M. Spratt, Jr.
6th 39% 61% Jim Clyburn

Electors

Technically the voters of SC cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. SC 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

  1. 1 2 3 "2004 Presidential Democratic Primary Election Results - South Carolina". U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  2. ↑ http://www.dcpoliticalreport.com/members/2004/Pred2.htm#NW
  3. ↑ http://uselectionatlas.org/USPRESIDENT/GENERAL/CAMPAIGN/2004/polls.php?fips=45
  4. ↑ http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/campaigns/george_w_bush.asp?cycle=04
  5. ↑ http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/campaigns/john_f_kerry.asp?cycle=04
  6. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/showdown/OH/
  7. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/campaign.ads/

See also

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