Who won South Carolina in the 1888 presidential election?

Cleveland (Democratic) carried South Carolina in 1888, winning its 9 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did South Carolina have in 1888?

South Carolina cast 9 electoral votes in the 1888 presidential election.

Did South Carolina vote for the national winner in 1888?

No. South Carolina backed Cleveland, while Benjamin Harrison won the presidency nationally.

Gilded AgeSC · 9 EV

1888

South Carolina: Cleveland carries 9 EV.

South Carolina cast its 9 electoral votes for Cleveland (Democratic). National winner: Benjamin Harrison (Republican) — South Carolina voted against the national winner this cycle.

What happened in South Carolina, 1888

In 1888, South Carolina awarded its 9 electoral votes to Cleveland of the Democratic party. The presidency went elsewhere: Benjamin Harrison (Republican) won nationally, while South Carolina had backed a different ticket.

South Carolina stayed in the Democratic column for the 3rd straight cycle, extending a run that began in 1880. South Carolina did not move alone — neighboring Georgia and North Carolina broke the same way in 1888. Over its 59 recorded presidential cycles, South Carolina has backed the Democratic party more than any other — 28 times in all. The vote fell within the Gilded Age — Industrialization, narrow margins, and patronage politics.

Nationally, Benjamin Harrison finished with 233 of the 401 electoral votes to Grover Cleveland's 168. Though Benjamin Harrison won the Electoral College, Grover Cleveland drew more of the national popular vote — 48.63% to 47.8%.

The 1888 national map

South Carolina full history →