1970 South Carolina gubernatorial election
| Elections in South Carolina |
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The 1970 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. John Carl West, the Democratic nominee, won a close general election against Albert Watson, the Republican congressman from the 2nd congressional district.
Primaries
Both John Carl West and Albert Watson faced no opposition in their party's primaries which allowed both candidates to concentrate solely on the general election.
General election
The general election was held on November 3, 1970 and John Carl West was elected as the next governor of South Carolina. Turnout was even higher than the previous gubernatorial election because of the recent enfranchisement of black voters and the controversial candidacy of Albert Watson.
#3333FF| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Carl West | 251,151 | 52.1 | -6.1 | |
| Republican | Albert Watson | 221,236 | 45.9 | +4.1 | |
| Independent | A.W. "Red" Bethea | 9,758 | 2.0 | +2.0 | |
| Majority | 29,915 | 6.2 | -10.2 | ||
| Turnout | 482,145 | 54.2 | +4.7 | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
65+% won by West
60%-64% won by West
55%-59% won by West
50%-54% won by West
<50% won by West
<50% won by Watson
50%-54% won by Watson
60%-64% won by Watson
See also
- Governor of South Carolina
- List of Governors of South Carolina
- South Carolina gubernatorial elections
External links
| Preceded by 1966 |
South Carolina gubernatorial elections | Succeeded by 1974 |