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94-554: Since 2003 , every governor of South Carolina has been a Republican. Additionally, Republicans hold a supermajority in both the South Carolina Senate and South Carolina House of Representatives . In 2020 , District 1 , which was represented by Democrat Joe Cunningham , was won by Republican Nancy Mace ; the party now represents six out of seven of the state's congressional districts . In 1868, legislation prohibition racial discrimination in public accommodations

188-533: A Bachelor of Science degree. After his graduation, Thurmond worked as a farmer, teacher, and athletic coach. In 1925, Thurmond fathered a child born to Carrie Butler, an African-American teenager who worked as his family's housekeeper. In 2003, the Thurmond family confirmed that Thurmond fathered a mixed-race daughter named Essie Mae with Butler. While her paternity was long hidden, he helped support her and paid for her college education. In 1929, Thurmond

282-399: A write-in campaign for the vacant Senate seat. He pledged that if he won, he would resign in 1956 to force a primary election. Easily winning the 1954 election, he was the first person to be elected to the U.S. Senate as a write-in candidate . In January 1955, Thurmond expressed his view that federal encroachment on states' rights was among the biggest threats to American life and violated

376-511: A Republican as it had been as a Democrat. In 1965, L. Mendel Rivers became chairman of the House Armed Services Committee , commentator Wayne King crediting Thurmond's involvement with Rivers as giving Rivers' district "an even dozen military installations that are said to account for one‐third to one‐half of the jobs in the area." In his 1966 re-election campaign , the new Republican senator faced no opposition in

470-779: A brief coalition between the Republican Party and Populists in the late 19th century, the South Carolina legislature followed others in the South in passing a constitution to disenfranchise most blacks and many poor whites. The Constitution of 1895 was a departure from the Reconstruction Constitution of 1868 that aimed to keep the majority black population from voting. However, the poll tax, property requirements and literacy requirements also keep poor whites from voting. By excluding blacks from politics,

564-460: A circuit judge, after Sue Logue participated in planning the murder of Davis Timmerman , Thurmond convinced her to surrender to authorities. In 1942, at age 39, after the U.S. formally entered World War II , Judge Thurmond resigned from the bench to serve in the U.S. Army , rising to lieutenant colonel . In the Battle of Normandy (June 6 – August 25, 1944), he landed in a glider attached to

658-457: A copy of The Case for the South to each of his Senate colleagues and then-vice president Richard Nixon . The book was described in 2013 by Loyola history professor and author Elizabeth Shermer as "a compendium of segregationist arguments that hit all the high points of regional apologia". In January 1959, the Senate held a debate over changing the rules to curb filibusters. Thurmond expressed

752-481: A deal made between Thurmond and Nixon over Thurmond's opposition to the Fortas nomination. Both Nixon and Thurmond denied Humphrey's claims, Thurmond saying that he had never discussed the nomination with Nixon while conceding the latter had unsuccessfully tried to sway him from opposing Fortas. In the lead-up to the 1968 United States Presidential election , Thurmond stated that President Johnson could be defeated in

846-482: A decade to desegregation following the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. Thurmond praised President Nixon and his "Southern Strategy" of delaying desegregation, saying Nixon "stood with the South in this case". In 1969, Thurmond opined that The New York Times "had a conflict of interest in its attacks on Otto F. Otepka's appointment to

940-538: A free labor system. The Republican Party of South Carolina was established during this time and controlled the politics of South Carolina throughout Reconstruction. Democrats mounted increasing violence and fraud at elections from 1868 through the period, in an effort to suppress the black and Republican vote. In 1874, the paramilitary Red Shirts arose as a paramilitary group working openly to disrupt Republican meetings, suppress black voting and return Democrats to power. The most violence occurred in counties where blacks were

1034-877: A liberal smear intended to damage his political influence, later calling the magazine "anti-South". and a few days later, Thurmond named executive director of the South Carolina Democratic Party Donald L. Fowler as the individual who had spread the story, a charge that Fowler denied. In 1970, African-Americans constituted about 30 percent of South Carolina's population. After the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , African Americans were legally protected in exercising their constitutional rights to register and vote in South Carolina. Thurmond appointed Thomas Moss, an African American, to his Senate staff in 1971. It has been described as

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1128-457: A medal from President of South Vietnam Nguyễn Văn Thiệu . The award was seen as part of an attempt by South Vietnam to court American congressional votes in its favor. In February 1971, Senate Republicans voted unanimously to bestow Thurmond full seniority, the vote being seen as "little more than a gesture since committee assignments are the major item settled by seniority and Senator Thurmond has his." In June, Thurmond advocated against lifting

1222-585: A moderator in the 1958 National Council of Churches conference. Along with Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater , Thurmond delayed the Nitze nomination. In spite of Thurmond voting against him, the nomination was approved. The day after the Nitze vote, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas . Thurmond expressed the view that a conspiracy would be found by investigators to have been responsible for JFK's death. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson ascended to

1316-583: A re-election bid by a Republican challenger since the candidate was likely to be less obnoxious than the president. Thurmond was an early supporter of a second presidential campaign by Nixon, his backing coming from the latter's position on the Vietnam War, Thurmond promising Nixon that he would not give in to the "depredations of the Reagan forces." During the general election campaign, Nixon's running mate Spiro Agnew stated that he did not believe Thurmond

1410-602: A senator from South Carolina. Thurmond remembered the handshake with Tillman as his first political skill. Thurmond attended Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina (now Clemson University ), where he studied horticulture . At Clemson, he served as the president of the Calhoun Literary Society, where he debated and learned parliamentary procedure . He was deeply influenced by his English professor—David Wistar Daniel, namesake of D. W. Daniel High School . Thurmond graduated from Clemson in 1923 with

1504-609: A special election. He and Thurmond served together for just over 36 years, making them the longest-serving Senate duo in American history. At the start of the 89th United States Congress , Thurmond was appointed to the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Constitutional Rights. In March, Thurmond won unanimous approval to have Clark's remarks removed from the record following an argument the senators had after Clark mentioned that Charleston, South Carolina would be included in

1598-586: A statewide television audience that he had switched parties from the Democrats to the Republicans, saying the Democratic "party of our fathers is dead." He said it had "forsaken the people to become the party of minority groups, power-hungry union leaders, political bosses, and businessmen looking for government contracts and favors". The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed the following year, restoring

1692-417: A strong minority, as Democrats tried to reduce their challenge. White Democrats led by Wade Hampton won the governorship and control of the state legislature in 1876. They dominated the state government for decades, controlling most candidates for governor and for national office. Freedmen were still able to elect Republicans to local office in some counties, giving them a say in daily government. Following

1786-558: A total victory in the war. On April 11, 1971, Thurmond called for the exoneration of William Calley following his conviction of participating in the My Lai Massacre , stating that the "victims at Mylai were casualties to the brutality of war" and Calley had acted off of order. Calley's petition for habeas corpus was granted three years later, in addition to his immediate release from house arrest. In January 1975, Thurmond and William Scott toured South Vietnam, Thurmond receiving

1880-492: A write-in candidate. Strom Thurmond Governor of South Carolina U.S. Senator from South Carolina Legacy James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902 – June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Before his 47 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Carolina from 1947 to 1951. Thurmond

1974-718: Is led by an elected group of state party officers, the South Carolina Republican Party State Executive Committee and paid staff. The state party organization is headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina . The current state party officers are: The South Carolina Republican Party controls all nine of the nine statewide offices and holds large majorities in the South Carolina Senate and the South Carolina House of Representatives . Republicans also hold both of

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2068-601: The 1964 United States presidential election , saying that the Democratic Party no longer represented people like him, and endorsed Republican nominee Barry Goldwater , who also opposed the Civil Rights Act. By the 1970s, Thurmond started to moderate his stance on race, but continued to defend his prior support for segregation based on states' rights and Southern society at the time. As a Republican, Thurmond served three times as President pro tempore of

2162-514: The 82nd Airborne Division . For his military service, Thurmond received 18 decorations , medals and awards, including the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster , Bronze Star with Valor device , Purple Heart , World War II Victory Medal , European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal , Belgium 's Order of the Crown and France's Croix de Guerre . During 1954–55, Thurmond was president of

2256-665: The 87th Congress would begin with a move to remove him from the Senate Democratic Caucus. This did not happen, and an aide for Senator Joseph S. Clark Jr. said there was never an intention to pursue recourse against Thurmond, though in his opinion Thurmond should no longer be a member of the party. In August 1961, Thurmond formally requested the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote on whether to vote for "a conspiracy to muzzle military anti-Communist drives." The appearance prompted

2350-510: The Republican nominee, defeated incumbent Democratic governor Jim Hodges to become the 115th governor of South Carolina. Hodges became only the third incumbent governor and the first Democratic governor in South Carolina history to lose reelection. Governor Jim Hodges faced no opposition from South Carolina Democrats and avoided a primary election . The South Carolina Republican Party held their primary on June 11, 2002, and

2444-615: The Reserve Officers Association . He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve with the rank of major general . Running as a Democrat in what was virtually a one-party state, since most African Americans (who then favored the Republican Party) were still disenfranchised by state discriminatory laws and practices, Thurmond was elected Governor of South Carolina in 1946 . He had promised to make state government more transparent and accountable by weakening

2538-680: The Senate Internal Security Subcommittee , urging that British musician John Lennon (then living in New York City ) be deported from the United States as an undesirable alien , due to Lennon's political views and activism. The document claimed Lennon's influence on young people could affect Nixon's chances of re-election , and suggested that terminating Lennon's visa might be "a strategy counter-measure". Thurmond's memo and attachment, received by

2632-674: The States' Rights Democratic Party , which was formed by White southern Democrats who split from the national party over the threat of federal intervention in state affairs regarding racial segregation and Jim Crow laws and practices. Thurmond's supporters took control of the Democratic Party in the Deep South . Incumbent President Harry S. Truman was not included on the presidential ballot in Alabama because that state's Supreme Court ruled void any requirement for party electors to vote for

2726-585: The documentary film, The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006). In July 1973, Thurmond was one of ten Republican senators in a group headed by Carl T. Curtis invited to the White House to reaffirm their support for President Nixon in light of recent scandals and criticism of the president within his own party. In October, after President Nixon ordered the firing of independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox , Democrat Birch Bayh charged Thurmond with "browbeating" Cox during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on

2820-605: The Civil Rights Act, President Johnson nominated LeRoy Collins as the first Director of the Community Relations Service. Subsequently, Thurmond reminded Collins of his past support for segregation and implied that he was a traitor to the South, Thurmond having particular disdain for an address by Collins the previous winter in which he charged Southern leaders with being harsh and intemperate. Thurmond also suggested that Collins had sought to fault southern leaders for President Kennedy's assassination. Thurmond

2914-746: The Constitution. In July, Thurmond supported the Republican Eisenhower Administration 's bill for an expanded military reserve law over the alternate plan proposed by fellow Democratic Senator Richard Russell . Thurmond co-wrote the first version of the Southern Manifesto , stating disagreement with the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education , that declared that segregated public schools were unconstitutional and ordered them integrated. In early 1956, Thurmond resigned from

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3008-429: The Democratic nominee Adlai Stevenson . Stevenson still narrowly carried South Carolina, traditionally Democratic, in the general election. The incumbent U.S. senator from South Carolina, Burnet R. Maybank , was unopposed for re-election in 1954, but he died two months before election day. The state Democratic Party selected Edgar A. Brown to replace Maybank without conducting a primary election. Thurmond organized

3102-593: The Democrats secured their power and ended the Republican challenge. The legislatures passed such laws and constitutions from 1890 to 1908, turning most of the South into a one-party region dominated by Democrats. The Solid South disenfranchised large portions of its states' populations. The exclusion of freedmen and their descendants from the political system resulted in the South Carolina Republican Party with very little influence within

3196-766: The Pentagon's list of twenty-five American cities that would get priority in their antimissile protection and attributed this to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rivers' influence. In June 1967, Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to be the first African-American Justice on the Supreme Court, Thurmond joined Sam Ervin , Spessard Holland , and James Eastland in calling Marshall a "Constitutional iconoclast" in Senate debate. Thurmond questioned Marshall for an hour "on fine points of constitutional law and history", and accused Marshall of having evaded questions on his legal principles during committee hearings. Marshall

3290-491: The Saturday session, attributing it to Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson . He said that those insistent on passing a civil rights bill should be around during discussions on the matter. In the 1960 United States presidential election , Thurmond refused to back the Democratic nominee, his Senate colleague John F. Kennedy , due to the latter's support for civil rights. In the 1960 South Carolina Senate race , Thurmond ran unopposed in

3384-683: The Senate, keeping the promise he had made two years earlier. He won the primary as well as the general election unopposed. Thereafter, he returned to the Senate in November 1956. In 1957, the Eisenhower administration introduced an amended version of the Civil Rights Bill, imposing expansion of federal supervision of integration in Southern states. In an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the bill 's passage, Thurmond filibustered

3478-497: The Soviet Union was attempting an increase on its missile accuracy and advocated for the United States to follow suit with its own missiles. Later that month, Thurmond and Jesse Helms wrote to President Ford requesting he meet with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn ahead of a speech on June 30 during an AFL–CIO dinner. The White House responded that Ford was too busy to meet with Solzhenitsyn, while later sources indicate Ford declined

3572-713: The Subversive Activities Control Board." and called for Associate Justice William O. Douglas to resign over what he considered political activities, a request which Douglas ignored. In the latter part of the year, President Nixon nominated Clement Haynsworth for associate justice. This came after the White House consulted with Thurmond throughout all of July, as Thurmond had become impressed with Haynsworth following their close collaboration. Thurmond wrote to Haynsworth that he had worked harder on his nomination than any other that had occurred since his Senate career began. The Haynsworth nomination

3666-473: The Supreme Court ruled state composed prayer in public schools was unconstitutional, Thurmond urged Congress to take steps to prevent the Court from making similar decisions. In September 1962, Thurmond called for an invasion of Cuba. In February 1963, Thurmond stated that "the brush curtain around Cuba is a formidable Soviet strategic military base" and estimated between 30,000 and 40,000 Cuban troops were under

3760-508: The U.S. Senate. Scott is the first African-American senator from South Carolina and the first from the South since 1881. The state's February 20, 2016 Republican Presidential Preference Primary saw a new turnout record of over 740,000 voters. Donald Trump won the primary with 32.5% of the vote. As President Donald Trump faced no significant primary opposition, the SCGOP cancelled the 2020 Republican Presidential Preference Primary. The party

3854-553: The Union as the victor. Following this, the southern and formerly Confederate states were gradually reintroduced back into the Union of the United States with a process that came to be called the Reconstruction Era of the United States . Northern Republicans and freed slaves came to control the politics of South Carolina during this era, as Confederates were temporarily disenfranchised. The planter elite struggled to adapt to

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3948-658: The United States Senate , and chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1981 to 1987 and the Senate Armed Services Committee from 1995 to 1999. He retired in 2003 as the only member of either chamber of Congress to reach the age of 100 while still in office and the oldest-serving senator, and died less than six months later. His 47 years as a senator, a record at the time, is the fourth-longest in U.S. history behind Robert Byrd , Daniel Inouye , and Patrick Leahy . At 14 years, Thurmond

4042-598: The Voting Rights Act as being opposed to its authorization of the federal government to determine the processes behind how statewide elections are conducted and insisted he was not against black voter turnout. During floor debate on the bill, Thurmond espoused that the VRA would lead to "despotism and tyranny." With the Voting Rights Act passing into law by a slightly larger margin than the Civil Rights Act, Thurmond's opposition to civil rights had proven as ineffective as

4136-575: The White House on February 7, 1972, initiated the Nixon administration's persecution of John Lennon that threatened the former Beatle with deportation for nearly five years from 1972 to 1976. The documents were discovered in the FBI files after a Freedom of Information Act search by Professor Jon Wiener , and published in Weiner's book Gimme Some Truth: The John Lennon FBI Files (2000). They are discussed in

4230-437: The ability "to keep at least some of the seniority power he had gained as a Democrat." Following the election, Johnson continued to push through Civil Rights legislation, most notably the Voting Rights Act in 1965, which committed the federal government to enforce voting rights of citizens by the supervision of elections in states with noted record of voter suppression and disenfranchisement. Thurmond explained his opposition to

4324-738: The ability of minorities to vote through federal oversight of registration and electoral processes. In 1967, Carolyn Frederick was elected to represent House District 22 in Greenville County. Frederick the first Republican woman elected to the House. In 1974, James B. Edwards became the first Republican to be elected the Governor of South Carolina since Reconstruction . Since the late 20th century, South Carolina's voters have increasingly supported Republican candidates for local, state and national offices. In 2010, Republican Mick Mulvaney

4418-598: The appointment of "sound judges" and uphold the Nixon administration's position for resumption of tax‐exempt status among all private schools. In a 1970 speech, Thurmond called on Japan to increase defense spending and take a larger role in resisting communism in Asia. Thurmond also defended the Vietnam policy of the Nixon administration, saying that the president was making the best of the situation that he had inherited from Kennedy and Johnson while admitting he personally favored

4512-574: The bill, speaking for a total of 24 hours and 18 minutes , the longest filibuster ever conducted by a single senator. Other Southern senators, who had agreed as part of a compromise not to filibuster this bill, were upset with Thurmond because they thought his defiance made them look incompetent to their constituents. Despite his efforts, the Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 on August 29. During his filibuster, Thurmond relied on

4606-474: The book The Case for the South , written by W. D. Workman Jr.; Thurmond had known the author for fifteen years. Workman had covered both Thurmond's tenure as South Carolina governor and his presidential campaign, in addition to having served in the military unit which Thurmond had organized in Columbia. He had turned down an offer by Thurmond to serve as his Washington, DC office press secretary. Thurmond sent

4700-437: The campaign, Thurmond told reporters that he believed Barry Goldwater could carry South Carolina and other southern states. Though Goldwater lost in a landslide , he won South Carolina with 59% of the vote compared to President Johnson's 41%. Senate Republicans were lukewarm to Thurmond due to their "super minority" of only 32 seats in the Senate prior to Thurmond's switch, and voted for committee assignments granting Thurmond

4794-630: The cancellation of another public appearance in Fort Jackson , as Thurmond favored marking his proposal with his presence, and his request for a $ 75,000 committee study was slated for consideration. In November, Thurmond said that President Kennedy had lost support in the South due to the formation of the National Relations Boards, what he called Kennedy's softness on communism, and an increase in military men being muzzled for speaking out against communism. In May 1962, Thurmond

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4888-524: The election for United States Congress . Strom's mother came from a well-known Edgefield family. She was a deeply religious woman, known for delivering prayers. Thurmond learned to ride ponies, horses, and bulls from an early age. When Thurmond was four, his family moved into a larger home, where they owned about six acres of land. His parents were frequently visited by politicians and lawyers. At six years old, he had an encounter with Benjamin Tillman ,

4982-422: The equation of resignation with mob rule and the group declined defending Nixon's conduct. Thurmond opined that Nixon was "the only President we have" and questioned why Congress would want to weaken his hand in negotiating with other countries. In August, Newsweek published a list by the White House including Thurmond as one of thirty-six senators that the administration believed would support President Nixon in

5076-557: The event of his impeachment and being brought to trial by the Senate. Nixon resigned on August 9 in light of near-certain impeachment. Throughout the 1970s, Thurmond took several actions against the Soviet Union . In June 1974, Senator Henry M. Jackson informed Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee John C. Stennis that he had arranged for Thurmond to cosponsor an amendment revising

5170-498: The federal government could be used to assist citizens in the daily plights brought on by the Great Depression . Thurmond raised money for Roosevelt and, following his victory, traveled to Washington to attend Roosevelt's inauguration. In 1933, Thurmond began his own political career by being elected to the South Carolina Senate . He served there until 1938, when he was elected as a state circuit judge. During his days as

5264-490: The firing. Thurmond replied that Bayh was "below a snake" in the event that he had intended to impugn his motives. Thurmond was noted for joining Edward J. Gurney in questioning Cox "at length in an attempt to show that he was biased against" Nixon and his administration, as Thurmond asked Cox if eleven members of his staff had worked for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. In May 1974, Thurmond, along with William L. Scott and James B. Allen agreed with Senator Carl T. Curtis on

5358-473: The first such appointment by a member of the South Carolina congressional delegation (it was incorrectly reported by many sources as the first senatorial appointment of an African American, but Mississippi Senator Pat Harrison had hired clerk-librarian Jesse Nichols in 1937). In 1983, Thurmond supported legislation to make the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. a federal holiday . In South Carolina,

5452-601: The general election; no Republican candidate was on the ballot. As of 2022, 1960 remains the last time a Democrat won South Carolina's Class 2 Senate seat. In the presidential election, Thurmond received 14 electoral votes for vice president (as Harry Byrd Sr. 's running mate). Though both Byrd and Thurmond had long since moved on from the States Rights' Democratic Party, they were the decided protest ticket of several Southern delegates and unpledged electors , who refused to give their support to Kennedy. Thurmond predicted

5546-412: The governor's office. In the one-party state of the time, the Democratic primary was the only competitive contest. Both candidates denounced President Truman during the campaign. Johnston defeated Thurmond 186,180 votes to 158,904 votes (54% to 46%) in what would be Thurmond's first and only state electoral defeat. In 1952, Thurmond endorsed Republican Dwight Eisenhower for the presidency, rather than

5640-478: The hierarchy of the national government over that of the states. The ensuing years were marked by an increasing divide between northern and southern states that eventually boiled over when the state of South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860. Other southern states followed and the American Civil War began in 1861 between the Union and the newly minted Confederacy. In 1865, the conflict ended with

5734-407: The honor was diluted; until 2000 the state offered employees the option to celebrate this holiday or substitute one of three Confederate holidays instead. Despite this, Thurmond never explicitly renounced his earlier views on racial segregation. In January 1970, Thurmond asserted that he would work "to reverse the unreasonable and impractical decisions of the Supreme Court", as well as assist with

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5828-583: The leadership of a Soviet general. Hours after the statement was made public, a Pentagon official disputed his claims as being "at wide variance with carefully evaluated data collected by U.S. intelligence" and called for Thurmond to release his proof to the Defense Department. During Paul Nitze 's nomination hearing for Secretary of the Navy , Thurmond was noted for asking "rapid fire questions" on military action and focusing on Nitze's participation as

5922-482: The longest speaking filibuster ever by a lone senator, at 24 hours and 18 minutes in length, in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957 . In the 1960s, he voted against both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 . Despite his support for racial segregation , Thurmond denied the accusation that he was a racist by insisting he was a supporter of states' rights and an opponent of excessive federal authority. Thurmond switched parties ahead of

6016-705: The meeting at the counsel of his advisors. In December 1979, Thurmond was one of ten senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee to sign a report urging President Carter to delay the vote on a proposed treaty between the US and Soviet Union to limit nuclear arms. In the 1976 Republican primary, President Ford faced a challenge from former California Governor Ronald Reagan, who selected Richard Schweiker as his running mate. Though Thurmond backed Reagan's candidacy, he, along with North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms , led efforts to oust Schweiker from

6110-404: The national nominee. Thurmond stated that Truman, Thomas Dewey and Henry A. Wallace would lead the U.S. to totalitarianism. Thurmond called civil rights initiatives dangerous to the American constitution and making the country susceptible to communism in the event of their enactment, challenging Truman to a debate on the issue. Thurmond carried four states and received 39 electoral votes, but

6204-501: The power of a group of politicians from Barnwell , whom Thurmond dubbed the Barnwell Ring , led by House Speaker Solomon Blatt . Many voters considered Thurmond a progressive for much of his term, in large part due to his influence in gaining the arrest of the perpetrators of the lynching of Willie Earle . Though none of the men were found guilty by an all-white jury , in a case where the defense called no witnesses, Thurmond

6298-579: The present export control system and restricting trade with the Soviet Union while granting the Defense Secretary power to veto any export that might "significantly increase the military capability" of either the Soviet Union or other Communist countries. In June 1975, as the Senate weighed a reduction in a $ 25 billion weapons procurement measure and to delete research funds to improve the accuracy and power of intercontinental ballistic missiles and warheads, Thurmond and Harry F. Byrd Jr. warned that

6392-418: The presidency . He began campaigning to secure passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , which angered white segregationists. These laws ended segregation and committed the federal government to enforce voting rights of citizens by the supervision of elections in states in which the pattern of voting showed black people had been disenfranchised. During the signing ceremony for

6486-573: The presidency outright. Thurmond also predicted that Nixon would carry Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Tennessee. Nixon carried each of these states with the exception of Texas. Thurmond decried the Supreme Court opinion in Alexander v. Holmes County Board of Education (1969), which ordered the immediate desegregation of schools in the American South. This had followed continued Southern resistance for more than

6580-490: The primary, and competed against Bradley Morrah Jr. in the general election campaign. Morrah avoided direct charges against Thurmond's record and generally spoke of his own ambitions in the event he was elected, later referring to Thurmond's time in the Senate as being ineffective. Thurmond won election with 62.2 percent of the vote (271,297 votes) to Morrah's 37.8 percent (164,955 votes). In 1966, former governor Ernest "Fritz" Hollings won South Carolina's other Senate seat in

6674-513: The runoff on June 25, 2002. The contest became a race between Lieutenant Governor Bob Peeler from the Upstate and Mark Sanford , a former representative of the 1st congressional district in the Lowcountry . Sanford received the support of the candidates eliminated from the runoff election and easily defeated Peeler. The general election was held on November 5, 2002, and Mark Sanford

6768-558: The second Indian-American, after fellow Republican Bobby Jindal , to serve as a governor in the United States. South Carolina's January 21, 2012 Republican Presidential Preference Primary was the party's then-largest ever, drawing more than 600,000 voters. Newt Gingrich won the race with 40.4% of the vote. The highly contested election set multiple state records for a presidential primary cycle; candidates held five presidential debates and spent $ 13.2 million in television ads. Governor Haley, mentioned above, appointed Republic Tim Scott to

6862-486: The state constitution, Thurmond was barred from seeking a second consecutive term as governor in 1950, so he mounted a Democratic primary challenge against first-term U.S. senator Olin Johnston . On May 1, Thurmond's Senate campaign headquarters opened in Columbia, South Carolina with Ernest Craig serving as campaign leader and George McNabb in charge of public relations; both men were on leave from their state positions in

6956-494: The state for generations after. This control would last until the second half of the twentieth century. In the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement intensified in the South, and in early July 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed. The Act, passed with the support of Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson, ended legal segregation in public accommodations. On September 16, 1964, Senator Strom Thurmond announced to

7050-412: The state's U.S. Senate seats and six of the state's seven U.S. House of Representatives seats. In 2012, Republican Tom Rice became the representative of South Carolina's 7th congressional district , newly re-established because of population gains. He is the first person to represent that district since it was eliminated in 1933. In a 2013 special election, former Republican Governor Mark Sanford

7144-497: The third day of hearings, Thurmond questioned Fortas over Mallory v. United States (1957), a case taking place before Fortas's tenure, but for which he was nonetheless held responsible by Thurmond. Thurmond asked Fortas if the Supreme Court decision in the Mallory v. United States case was an encouragement of individuals to commit serious crimes such as rape and if he believed in "that kind of justice", an inquiry that shocked even

7238-612: The ticket. During the subsequent general election , Thurmond appeared in a campaign commercial for incumbent U.S. President Gerald Ford in his race against Thurmond's fellow Southerner , former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter . In the commercial, Thurmond said Ford (who was born in Nebraska and spent most of his life in Michigan ) "sound[ed] more like a Southerner than Jimmy Carter ". After President-elect Carter nominated Theodore C. Sorensen as his choice to become Director of

7332-490: The trade embargo on the People's Republic of China , stating that its communist regime had engaged in a propaganda effort to weaken support for the embargo. Nevertheless, days later, President Nixon ordered an end to the embargo. On February 4, 1972, Thurmond sent a secret memo to William Timmons (in his capacity as an aide to Richard Nixon) and United States Attorney General John N. Mitchell , with an attached file from

7426-579: The usually stoic Fortas. Thurmond displayed sex magazines, which he called "obscene, foul, putrid, filthy and repulsive", to validate his charges that Supreme Court rulings overturning obscenity convictions had led to a large wave of hardcore pornography material. Thurmond stated that Fortas had backed overturning 23 of the 26 lower court obscenity decisions. Thurmond also arranged for the screening of explicit films that Fortas had purportedly legalized to be played before reporters and his own Senate colleagues. In September, Vice President Hubert Humphrey spoke of

7520-495: The view that the Senate should return to the rule prior to 1917, when there were no regulations on the time for debate. In February 1960, Thurmond requested a quorum call that would produce at least half the membership of the Senate, the call being seen as one of the delay tactics employed by Southerners during the meeting. 51 senators assembled, allowing the Senate to adjourn in spite of Thurmond's calls for another quorum call. Thurmond afterward denied his responsibility in convening

7614-612: Was a member of the Democratic Party until 1964, when he joined the Republican Party . He had earlier run for president in 1948 as the Dixiecrat candidate in opposition to Democrat Harry Truman , receiving over a million votes and winning four states, and endorsed Republican Dwight Eisenhower for president in the 1950s. A staunch opponent of civil rights legislation in the 1950s and 1960s, Thurmond conducted

7708-505: Was a racist when asked his opinion on the matter, and Thurmond participated in a two-day tour of Georgia during October where he warned that American Independent Party candidate George Wallace would split the vote and give the election to Democratic nominee Hubert Humphrey by having the Democratic-majority House of Representatives select him in the event none of the candidates received enough electoral votes to win

7802-626: Was also the longest-serving Dean of the United States Senate in political history. James Strom Thurmond was born on December 5, 1902, in Edgefield, South Carolina . He was the second of six children born to John William Thurmond (1862–1934) and Eleanor Gertrude Strom (1870–1958). Thurmond's father was a lawyer and politician who served as a county supervisor and representative to the South Carolina General Assembly . In 1902, Thurmond's father unsuccessfully contested

7896-539: Was appointed as Edgefield County 's superintendent of education. While serving as superintendent of education, he began studying to become a lawyer by reading law under his father's guidance. In 1930, Thurmond was admitted to the South Carolina bar. He was appointed as the Edgefield Town and County attorney, serving from 1930 to 1938. Thurmond supported Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential election . Thurmond favored Roosevelt's argument that

7990-585: Was congratulated by the NAACP and the ACLU for his efforts to bring the murderers to justice. In 1949, Thurmond oversaw the opening of Camp Croft State Park. In November he was unanimously elected Chairman of the Southern Governors Conference and was considered to be a states' rights nominee. In the 1948 presidential election, Thurmond ran for president as a third party candidate for

8084-569: Was elected as the next governor of South Carolina . Turnout was higher than in the previous gubernatorial election because of the competitive nature of the race between the two parties. Activist and author Kevin Alexander Gray was a gubernatorial candidate representing the South Carolina United Citizens’ Party & Green Party . He did not have the required signatures to be on the ballot, and consequently ran as

8178-425: Was elected as the representative of South Carolina's 1st congressional district , returning to the seat he previously held from 1995 to 2001. 2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election Jim Hodges Democratic Mark Sanford Republican The 2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002, to select the governor of the state of South Carolina . Mark Sanford ,

8272-482: Was elected as the representative of South Carolina's 5th congressional district , the first Republican to represent that district since Robert Smalls , the party's co-founder, last held the seat in 1883. The election of Mulvaney was the first break in 100+ years of Democratic control in the State Legislature. Also in 2010, Republican Nikki Haley was elected the first female Governor of South Carolina and

8366-544: Was part of a group of Senate orators headed by John C. Stennis who expressed opposition to the Kennedy administration's literacy test bill, arguing that the measure was in violation of states' rights as defined by the Constitution. The bill was an effort to reduce the use of discriminatory and subjective literacy tests in the South; ostensibly used to establish voters' competency, in practice they were used against African-American voters and preventing their registration. After

8460-411: Was passed by the state house, but failed in the state senate. Benjamin F. Randolph , a state legislator and chair of the party, and another legislator were murdered that year. The Republican Party of the United States was founded during the 1850s in response to the political tensions that revolved around slavery and came to define that era. The Republican Party's goal was to abolish slavery and preserve

8554-404: Was rejected in the Senate. Years later, at a 1977 hearing, Thurmond told Haynsworth, "It's a pity you are not on the Supreme Court today. Several senators who voted against you have told me they would vote for you if they had it to do again." In 1969, Time ran a story accusing Thurmond of receiving "an extraordinarily high payment for land". Thurmond responded to the claim by calling the tale

8648-457: Was still confirmed by the Senate at the end of that month. Later that year, Thurmond attributed the 1967 USS Forrestal fire to being precipitated by communists, and warned against enacting any of the three proposed Panama Canal treaties on the grounds that they would lead to Communist control of the waterway if enacted. In 1968, Chief Justice Earl Warren decided to retire, and Johnson subsequently nominated Abe Fortas to succeed him. On

8742-414: Was the only senator to vote against Collins' nomination being sent to the Senate, and later one of eight senators to vote against his nomination in the chamber. On September 16, 1964, Thurmond confirmed he was leaving the Democratic Party to work on the presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater , charging the Democrats with having "abandoned the people" and having repudiated the U.S. Constitution . During

8836-502: Was unable to stop Truman's re-election. During the campaign, Thurmond said the following in a speech met with loud cheers by his assembled supporters: listen I wanna tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that there's not enough troops in the army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the Nigra race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes, and into our churches. According to term limits in

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