United States presidential election in South Carolina, 2004
Encyclopedia
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.
, 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.
.
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.
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
. Voters chose 8 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
.
South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
was won by incumbent President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
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
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
of the bordering state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
was chosen as the vice presidential nominee.
Predictions
There were 12 news organizations who made state by state predictions of the election. Here are there last predictions before election day.- D.C. Political Report: Solid Republican
- Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
: Solid Bush - CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
: Bush - Cook Political ReportCook Political ReportThe Cook Political Report is an independent, non-partisan online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, Governor's offices and the American Presidency. The Cook Political Report is led by a staff of five...
: Solid Republican - NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
: Solid Bush - New York Times: Solid Bush
- Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
: Bush - Research 2000Research 2000Research 2000 is a U.S. opinion polling and marketing research company based in Olney, Maryland. It began doing research on upcoming elections in 1999 after its President, Del Ali, moved on from Mason-Dixon Political Media Research...
: Solid Bush - Washington Post: Bush
- Washington Times: Solid Bush
- Zogby InternationalZogby InternationalIBOPE Zogby International is an international market research, opinion polling firm founded in 1984 by John Zogby. The company polls and consults for a wide spectrum of business media, government, and political groups, and conducts public opinion research in more than 70 countries...
: Bush - 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%.Advertising and visits
Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall election.Analysis
South Carolina, historically part of the Solid SouthSolid South
Solid South is the electoral support of the Southern United States for the Democratic Party candidates for nearly a century from 1877, the end of Reconstruction, to 1964, during the middle of the Civil Rights era....
, has become a Republican stronghold in the past few presidential elections. Since Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
carried the state in 1964
United States presidential election, 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...
, the only Democratic presidential nominee to win it was Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
of neighboring Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in 1976
United States presidential election, 1976
The United States presidential election of 1976 followed the resignation of President Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. It pitted incumbent President Gerald Ford, the Republican candidate, against the relatively unknown former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, the Democratic...
. 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 Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... |
937,974 | 58.0% | 8 | |
| Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
John Kerry John Kerry John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W... |
661,699 | 40.9% | 0 | |
| Independent | Ralph Nader Ralph Nader Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government.... |
5,520 | 0.3% | 0 | |
| Constitution | Michael Peroutka Michael Peroutka Michael Anthony Peroutka is a Maryland lawyer, the founder of the Institute on the Constitution. He once held a position in the United States Department of Health and Human Services and was the Constitution Party candidate for president in 2004. He is co-host of The American View radio... |
5,317 | 0.3% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Michael Badnarik Michael Badnarik Michael J. Badnarik is an American software engineer, political figure, and former radio talk show host. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2004 elections, and placed fourth in the race, behind independent candidate Ralph Nader... |
3,608 | 0.2% | 0 | |
| United Citizens | Walt Brown Walt Brown Walter Frederick Brown is an American politician and was the presidential candidate of the Socialist Party USA in the 2004 elections. Brown became a socialist in 1948. He served as Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate from 1975 to 1987. Brown also served as a Socialist Party of Oregon... |
2,124 | 0.1% | 0 | |
| Green | David Cobb David Cobb David Keith Cobb is an American activist and was the 2004 presidential candidate of the Green Party of the United States .-Career and political activities:... |
1,488 | 0.1% | 0 | |
| Totals | - | 100.00% | 8 | ||
| Voter turnout (Voting age population) | 51.8% | ||||
By county
| County | Bush# | Bush% | Kerry# | Kerry% | Others# | Others% | Total# |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeville County, South Carolina Abbeville County, South Carolina Abbeville County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2010, its population was 25,147. Its county seat is Abbeville. It is the first county in the United States alphabetically.-History:... |
5,435 | 54.77% | 4,389 | 44.23% | 100 | 1.01% | 9,924 |
| Aiken County, South Carolina Aiken County, South Carolina Aiken County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 142,552; in 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had reached 160,099... |
38,912 | 65.72% | 19,687 | 33.25% | 613 | 1.04% | 59,212 |
| Allendale County, South Carolina Allendale County, South Carolina -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,211 people, 3,915 households and 2,615 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 4,568 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile... |
984 | 27.42% | 2,563 | 71.43% | 41 | 1.14% | 3,588 |
| Anderson County, South Carolina Anderson County, South Carolina -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 187,126 people and 70,597 households residing in the county. The population density was 260.6 people per square mile . There were 84,092 housing units... |
43,313 | 66.99% | 20,670 | 31.97% | 670 | 1.04% | 64,653 |
| Bamberg County, South Carolina Bamberg County, South Carolina -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,658 people, 6,123 households, and 4,255 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 people per square mile . There were 7,130 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile... |
2,135 | 35.41% | 3,837 | 63.64% | 57 | 0.95% | 6,029 |
| Barnwell County, South Carolina Barnwell County, South Carolina -History:The Barnwell District was created in 1798 from the southwestern portion of the Orangeburg District, along the Savannah River... |
4,602 | 53.03% | 3,979 | 45.85% | 97 | 1.12% | 8,678 |
| Beaufort County, South Carolina Beaufort County, South Carolina -National protected areas:*Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge *Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 155,215 people, 45,532 households, and 33,056 families residing in the county. The population density was 206 people per... |
28,018 | 60.58% | 17,880 | 38.66% | 348 | 0.75% | 46,246 |
| Berkeley County, South Carolina Berkeley County, South Carolina Berkeley County is a county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 142,651. The 2005 Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 151,673. Its county seat is Moncks Corner.... |
29,165 | 60.64% | 18,289 | 38.03% | 641 | 1.33% | 48,095 |
| Calhoun County, South Carolina Calhoun County, South Carolina Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 15,185; a 2005 Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 15,100. It is named for John C. Calhoun, the former U.S. Vice-President, Senator, Representative and cabinet member from South... |
3,447 | 49.85% | 3,390 | 49.02% | 78 | 1.13% | 6,915 |
| Charleston County, South Carolina Charleston County, South Carolina Charleston County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. According to a 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, its population was 330,368. Its county seat is Charleston. It is the third-most populous county in the state . Charleston County was created in 1901 by an act of the South... |
61,787 | 51.25% | 56,636 | 46.98% | 2,129 | 1.77% | 120,552 |
| Cherokee County, South Carolina Cherokee County, South Carolina Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The county was formed in 1897 from parts of York, Union, and Spartanburg Counties. It is included in the Gaffney, South Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 United States Census, the county's... |
12,064 | 64.63% | 6,443 | 34.52% | 158 | 0.85% | 18,665 |
| Chester County, South Carolina Chester County, South Carolina Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was 34,068; in 2005 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had dropped to 33,228. Its county seat is Chester.-Geography and climate:... |
5,205 | 49.43% | 5,200 | 49.38% | 126 | 1.20% | 10,531 |
| Chesterfield County, South Carolina Chesterfield County, South Carolina -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,768 people, 16,557 households, and 11,705 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 18,818 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile... |
7,176 | 51.68% | 6,642 | 47.84% | 67 | 0.48% | 13,885 |
| Clarendon County, South Carolina | 6,035 | 45.94% | 7,050 | 53.67% | 51 | 0.39% | 13,136 |
| Colleton County, South Carolina | 7,242 | 51.52% | 6,672 | 47.46% | 144 | 1.02% | 14,058 |
| Darlington County, South Carolina | 13,406 | 52.73% | 11,811 | 46.45% | 209 | 0.82% | 25,426 |
| Dillon County, South Carolina | 4,293 | 46.53% | 4,831 | 52.36% | 102 | 1.11% | 9,226 |
| Dorchester County, South Carolina | 26,006 | 62.94% | 14,733 | 35.66% | 578 | 1.40% | 41,317 |
| Edgefield County, South Carolina | 5,611 | 57.57% | 4,051 | 41.57% | 84 | 0.86% | 9,746 |
| Fairfield County, South Carolina | 3,173 | 36.34% | 5,423 | 62.11% | 135 | 1.55% | 8,731 |
| Florence County, South Carolina Florence County, South Carolina Florence is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 2000, its population was recorded to be 125,761; in 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had reached 131,097. Its county seat is Florence. The county's population is about 60% urban and it comprises part of... |
27,488 | 55.91% | 21,267 | 43.25% | 412 | 0.84% | 49,167 |
| Georgetown County, South Carolina | 12,420 | 53.40% | 10,456 | 44.96% | 382 | 1.64% | 23,258 |
| Greenville County, South Carolina Greenville County, South Carolina - External Links :*... |
109,292 | 66.02% | 54,286 | 32.79% | 1,961 | 1.18% | 165,539 |
| Greenwood County, South Carolina | 14,136 | 60.89% | 8,859 | 38.16% | 221 | 0.95% | 23,216 |
| Hampton County, South Carolina | 2,798 | 40.09% | 4,096 | 58.69% | 85 | 1.22% | 6,979 |
| Horry County, South Carolina Horry County, South Carolina Horry County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. This name honored Revolutionary War Hero, Peter Horry. Brigadier General Horry was born in South Carolina sometime around 1743 and started his distinguished military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains the Provincial Congress... |
50,382 | 62.03% | 29,489 | 36.31% | 1,346 | 1.66% | 81,217 |
| Jasper County, South Carolina | 2,929 | 42.89% | 3,828 | 56.06% | 72 | 1.05% | 6,829 |
| Kershaw County, South Carolina | 14,160 | 61.53% | 8,515 | 37.00% | 340 | 1.48% | 23,015 |
| Lancaster County, South Carolina | 11,883 | 61.96% | 7,043 | 36.72% | 253 | 1.32% | 19,179 |
| Laurens County, South Carolina | 14,367 | 60.80% | 9,109 | 38.55% | 154 | 0.65% | 23,630 |
| Lee County, South Carolina | 2,611 | 36.16% | 4,577 | 63.39% | 32 | 0.44% | 7,220 |
| Lexington County, South Carolina | 66,991 | 71.86% | 25,334 | 27.18% | 899 | 0.96% | 93,224 |
| Marion County, South Carolina | 2,073 | 49.45% | 2,071 | 49.40% | 48 | 1.15% | 4,192 |
| Marlboro County, South Carolina | 3,423 | 39.95% | 4,984 | 58.17% | 161 | 1.88% | 8,568 |
| McCormick County, South Carolina | 2,443 | 47.82% | 2,643 | 51.73% | 23 | 0.45% | 5,109 |
| Newberry County, South Carolina | 7,257 | 61.54% | 4,273 | 36.23% | 263 | 2.23% | 11,793 |
| Oconee County, South Carolina | 18,715 | 68.39% | 8,326 | 30.43% | 323 | 1.18% | 27,364 |
| Orangeburg County, South Carolina | 12,676 | 33.80% | 24,655 | 65.74% | 171 | 0.46% | 37,502 |
| Pickens County, South Carolina | 29,706 | 73.46% | 10,272 | 25.40% | 461 | 1.14% | 40,439 |
| Richland County, South Carolina Richland County, South Carolina Richland County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The 2000 U.S. census recorded its population to be 320,677. In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded that its population had reached 384,504. It is the second most populous county in South Carolina, behind only Greenville... |
47,390 | 41.71% | 65,098 | 57.30% | 1,130 | 0.99% | 113,618 |
| Saluda County, South Carolina | 3,496 | 61.41% | 2,183 | 38.35% | 14 | 0.25% | 5,693 |
| Spartanburg County, South Carolina | 61,892 | 64.10% | 33,545 | 34.74% | 1,121 | 1.16% | 96,558 |
| Sumter County, South Carolina | 17,905 | 48.76% | 18,582 | 50.60% | 236 | 0.64% | 36,723 |
| Union County, South Carolina | 6,592 | 56.18% | 5,036 | 42.92% | 106 | 0.90% | 11,734 |
| Williamsburg County, South Carolina | 4,793 | 34.45% | 9,039 | 64.98% | 79 | 0.57% | 13,911 |
| York County, South Carolina York County, South Carolina York County is a county located in the north-central section of the U.S. state of South Carolina. According to the 2010 census, the county's population was 226,073. It is the second largest county in the Charlotte metropolitan area... |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61% | 39% | Henry E. Brown, Jr. Henry E. Brown, Jr. Henry Edward Brown, Jr. is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2001 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party... |
|
| 60% | 39% | Joe Wilson Joe Wilson (U.S. politician) Addison Graves Wilson, Sr., most commonly known as Joe Wilson , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party... |
|
| 66% | 34% | J. Gresham Barrett J. Gresham Barrett James Gresham Barrett is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2003 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district runs along the Savannah River in the northwestern part of the state.... |
|
| 65% | 34% | Jim Demint Jim DeMint James Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in... |
|
| Bob Inglis Bob Inglis Robert Durden "Bob" Inglis, Sr. is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and then again from 2005 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party... |
|||
| 57% | 42% | John M. Spratt, Jr. John M. Spratt, Jr. John McKee Spratt, Jr. is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Spratt was the dean of the South Carolina congressional delegation, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Budget, and the second ranking Democrat on the U.S... |
|
| 39% | 61% | Jim Clyburn Jim Clyburn James Enos "Jim" Clyburn is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993, and the Assistant Democratic Leader since 2011. He was previously House Majority Whip, serving in that post from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party... |
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 electorFaithless elector
In United States presidential elections, a faithless elector is a member of the Electoral College who does not vote for the candidate they have pledged to vote for...
.
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.
- Katon Dawson
- Buddy WitherspoonBuddy WitherspoonDr. Walter P. Witherspoon, better known as Buddy Witherspoon, served as the National Executive Committeeman of the South Carolina Republican Party from 1996 to 2008. In that capacity, he served as a voting member of the Republican National Committee....
- Wayland Moody
- Thomas McLean
- Brenda Bedenbaugh
- Edwin Foulke
- Robert Reagan
- Drew McKissick