United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_South_Carolina,_1956
1956 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina
Election in South Carolina
The 1956 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina were held on November 6, 1956, to select six Representatives for two-year terms from the state of South Carolina. All five incumbents who ran were re-elected and the open seat in the 5th congressional district was retained by the Democrats. The composition of the state delegation thus remained solely Democratic.
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All 6 South Carolina seats to the United States House of Representatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 District results
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Incumbent Democratic Congressman L. Mendel Rivers of the 1st congressional district, in office since 1941, was unopposed in his bid for re-election.
General election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | L. Mendel Rivers (incumbent) | 31,112 | 100.0 | +2.3 | |
| No party | Write-Ins | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 31,110 | 100.0 | +4.6 | ||
| Turnout | 31,114 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Incumbent Democratic Congressman John J. Riley of the 2nd congressional district, in office since 1951, was unopposed in his bid for re-election.
General election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John J. Riley (incumbent) | 49,284 | 100.0 | +2.3 | |
| No party | Write-Ins | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 49,281 | 100.0 | +4.6 | ||
| Turnout | 49,287 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Incumbent Democratic Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn of the 3rd congressional district, in office since 1951, defeated Republican challenger Maka Knox.
General election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William J.B. Dorn (incumbent) | 39,270 | 92.9 | -6.4 | |
| Republican | Maka Knox | 2,885 | 6.8 | +6.2 | |
| No party | Write-Ins | 127 | 0.3 | +0.2 | |
| Majority | 36,385 | 86.1 | -12.6 | ||
| Turnout | 42,282 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Robert T. Ashmore of the 4th congressional district, in office since 1953, defeated Republican challenger Dan H. Wallace, Jr.
General election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert T. Ashmore (incumbent) | 53,722 | 85.1 | -14.1 | |
| Republican | Dan H. Wallace, Jr. | 9,393 | 14.9 | +14.1 | |
| Majority | 44,329 | 70.2 | -28.2 | ||
| Turnout | 63,115 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Incumbent Democratic Congressman James P. Richards of the 5th congressional district, in office since 1933, opted to retire. Robert W. Hemphill defeated Thomas S. Gettys in the Democratic primary and was unopposed in the general election.
Democratic primary
| Democratic primary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Robert W. Hemphill | 28,424 | 59.0 |
| Thomas S. Gettys | 19,760 | 41.0 |
General election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert W. Hemphill | 36,454 | 100.0 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 36,454 | 100.0 | 0.0 | ||
| Turnout | 36,454 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Incumbent Democratic Congressman John L. McMillan of the 6th congressional district, in office since 1939, was unopposed in his bid for re-election.
General election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John L. McMillan (incumbent) | 39,749 | 100.0 | +1.1 | |
| No party | Write-Ins | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Majority | 39,746 | 100.0 | +2.2 | ||
| Turnout | 39,752 | ||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
- "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 1956" (PDF). clerk.house.gov. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- Jordan, Frank E. The Primary State: A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962. p. 116.
- "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 I. Columbia, SC: 1957, pp. 10–12.