Skip to content

1980 Senate elections · South Carolina history

South Carolina U.S. Senate election 1980

Ernest F. Hollings DEM +40.7 · Class III seat · held 11/4/80

Votes counted
870,500
Margin
40.7 pts
Seat held by
Democraticheld
President in SC
R+1.3same year

General election 11/4/80

CandidatePartyVotesShareBar
Ernest F. Hollings WonDEM612,55470.37%
Marshall MaysREP257,94629.63%
Total870,500

Official source: data

Other South Carolina Senate races

YearSeatWinnerMargin
2022Class IIITim Scott25.9
2020Class IILindsey Graham10.3
2016Class IIITim Scott26.2
2014Class IILindsey Graham17.4
2014 specialClass IIITim Scott22.1
2010Class IIIJim DeMint33.8
2008Class IILindsey Graham15.3
2004Class IIIJim DeMint9.6
2002Class IILindsey Graham10.2
1998Class IIIErnest F. Hollings7.0
1996Class IIStrom Thurmond9.4
1992Class IIIErnest F. Hollings3.1

Full South Carolina Senate history →

Questions and answers

Who won the 1980 South Carolina Senate race?

Ernest F. Hollings (DEM) won with 70.4% of the vote, ahead of Marshall Mays (29.6%), a margin of 40.7 points.

Did the South Carolina Senate seat change party in 1980?

No. The Democratic Party held it.

How many votes were cast in the 1980 South Carolina Senate race?

870,500 votes were counted for the candidates in the general election.

Compiled by FiveThirtyEight from the official source linked above.