The 1948 South Carolina United States Senate election was held on November 2, 1948, to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. Incumbent Senator Burnet R. Maybank won the Democratic primary and defeated Republican challenger J. Bates Gerald in the general election to win another six-year term.
Democratic primary
Candidates Neville Bennett William Jennings Bryan Dorn, U.S. Representative from Greenwood Alan Johnstone Burnet R. Maybank, incumbent Senator since 1941 Marcus A. Stone
Results Senator Maybank narrowly achieved a majority of the primary vote, avoiding a potential run-off election against Dorn.
Democratic PrimaryCandidateVotes% Burnet R. Maybank 161,608 51.5 W.J. Bryan Dorn 76,749 24.4 Neville Bennett 43,068 13.7 Alan Johnstone 17,689 5.6 Marcus A. Stone 14,904 4.8
General election
Campaign Since the end of Reconstruction in 1877, the Democratic Party dominated the politics of South Carolina and its statewide candidates were never seriously challenged. Maybank did not campaign for the general election as there was no chance of defeat.
Results
| colspan=5 |Democratic hold
See also List of United States senators from South Carolina United States Senate elections, 1948 and 1949 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 1948
References
"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: 1949, p. 11.