The 1953 South Carolina 4th congressional district special election was held on June 2, 1953 to select a

Representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...

for the 4th congressional district to serve out the remainder of the term for the

83rd Congress The 83rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1953, until January 3, 1955, during the last two weeks of the Truman administration, with ...

. The special election resulted from the death of Representative

Joseph R. Bryson Joseph Raleigh Bryson (January 18, 1893 – March 10, 1953) was a U.S. Representative from South Carolina. Born in Brevard, North Carolina, Bryson moved, with his parents, to Greenville, South Carolina, in 1900. He attended the public schools. ...

on March 10, 1953.

Robert T. Ashmore Robert Thomas Ashmore (February 22, 1904 – October 5, 1989) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from South Carolina, cousin of John D. Ashmore. Born on a farm near Greenville, South Carolina, Ashmore attended the p ...

emerged as the winner in a crowded field of Democrats.

General election campaign

The

South Carolina Democratic Party The South Carolina Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina. History The Democratic Party thrived during the Second Party System between 1832 ...

decided to forgo a

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

so the general election held on June 2 featured a crowded field of six Democrats. The

South Carolina Republican Party The South Carolina Republican Party (SCGOP) is the state affiliate of the national Republican Party in South Carolina. It is one of two major political parties in the state, along with the South Carolina Democratic Party, and is the dominant par ...

was nothing more than a patronage institution at the time and it had no chance to win the seat so no Republican filed for the election.

, a solicitor from Greenville, prevailed over

Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Offi ...

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Charles C. Moore.

Election results

, - , , colspan=5 , Democratic hold , -

References

* *"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: 1954, p. 173. South Carolina 1953 04 South Carolina 1953 04 1953 04 South Carolina 04 United States House of Representatives 04 United States House of Representatives 1953 04 {{SouthCarolina-stub

General election campaign

Election results

See also

References