1960 South Carolina Senate election

1960 South Carolina Senate election
November 8, 1960
23 of 46 seats in the South Carolina Senate; 24 seats needed for a majority
	District results; New Democratic senator elected; Democratic incumbent senator re-elected
President before election; Edgar Allan Brown; Democratic	Elected President ; Edgar Allan Brown; Democratic

An election in the U.S. state of South Carolina was held on November 8, 1960 to elect 23 of the South Carolina Senate's 46 members to four-year terms. Every seat up for election was won by the nominee of the Democratic Party. Furthermore, every last Democratic nominee won in the general election completely unopposed, making the real contest the Democratic primaries, held on June 14 and June 28.

Of the 23 senators up for election, seventeen chose to run again, leaving six open seats. Of the seventeen, two lost renomination.^[1] Longtime incumbent president pro tempore Edgar Allan Brown was re-elected to his post by the chamber in January 1961.^[2]

The elections were held concurrently with those for U.S. presidential electors, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state house, and numerous other state and local elections.

Overview

County	Incumbents^[3]		Democratic primaries^[4]^[5]^[1]	Result
County	Senator	Party	Democratic primaries^[4]^[5]^[1]	Result
Aiken	Dorcey Lybrand	Democratic	▌Y Edward Cushman ▌Pope Gantt	Incumbent did not seek re-election. New member elected. Democratic hold.
Bamberg	Percy E. Brabham	Democratic	▌Y Percy E. Brabham ▌F. R. Hartzog	Incumbent re-elected.
Barnwell	Edgar Allan Brown	Democratic	▌Y Edgar Allan Brown	Incumbent re-elected.
Beaufort	E. Burt Rodgers	Democratic	▌Y James M. Waddell ▌W. F. Sample	Incumbent did not seek re-election. New member elected. Democratic hold.
Calhoun	Marion Gressette	Democratic	▌Y Marion Gressette	Incumbent re-elected.
Dorchester	J. D. Parler	Democratic	▌Y H. H. Jessen ▌Clifford S. Jones	Incumbent did not seek re-election. New member elected. Democratic hold.
Edgefield	F. E. Timmerman	Democratic	▌Y F. E. Timmerman ▌W. P. Yonce	Incumbent re-elected.
Fairfield	John C. Martin	Democratic	▌Y B. W. Hornsby ▌John C. Martin	Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold.
Georgetown	James B. Morrison	Democratic	▌Y James B. Morrison	Incumbent re-elected.
Greenville	P. Bradley Morrah	Democratic	▌Y P. Bradley Morrah ▌Ted P. Watson	Incumbent re-elected.
Greenwood	J. William Bradford^[a]	Democratic	▌Y Francis Nicholson	Incumbent did not seek re-election. New member elected. Democratic hold.
Horry	James P. Stevens	Democratic	▌Y James P. Stevens ▌G. Stanley Bryant ▌Baylis Spivey	Incumbent re-elected.
Jasper	J. Foster Smith	Democratic	▌Y Henry C. Walker ▌J. Foster Smith ▌W. J. Ellis	Incumbent lost renomination. New member elected. Democratic hold.
Laurens	Vacant^[b]		▌Y King Dixon Sr. ▌W. C. Dobbins ▌Justin A. Bridges	Incumbent did not seek re-election. New member elected. Democratic hold.
Lexington	James P. Stevens	Democratic	▌Y Francis C. Jones ▌Phillip K. Wingard ▌Blease Ellison	Incumbent re-elected.
Marion	J. Marion Gasque	Democratic	▌Y J. Marion Gasque ▌T. Carroll Atkinson	Incumbent re-elected.
McCormick	L. L. Hester	Democratic	▌Y L. L. Hester	Incumbent re-elected.
Newberry	R. Aubrey Harley	Democratic	▌Y J. F. Hawkins ▌Earl H. Bergen	Incumbent did not seek re-election. New member elected. Democratic hold.
Oconee	Marshall J. Parker	Democratic	▌Y Marshall J. Parker	Incumbent re-elected.
Orangeburg	Marshall B. Williams	Democratic	▌Y Marshall B. Williams	Incumbent re-elected.
Saluda	F. G. Scurry	Democratic	▌Y F. G. Scurry	Incumbent re-elected.
Spartanburg	Charles C. Moore	Democratic	▌Y Charles C. Moore	Incumbent re-elected.
York	Robert W. Hayes	Democratic	▌Y Robert W. Hayes ▌David Lyle	Incumbent re-elected.

Notes

^ Elected in May 1959 to fill the unexpired term of Alex H. Woodle.
^ Democrat Robert C. Wasson resigned to become a member of the state tax commission.

References

^ ^a ^b "General Assembly Gets Forty-Nine New Members". The Gaffney Ledger. July 12, 1960. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
^ "Brown Again President Pro Tempore". The State. January 11, 1961. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
^ Workman, W. D. (May 26, 1960). "5 Senators to Give Up Posts". The Greenville News. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
^ "Complete SC Senate Race Lineup Given". The State. March 22, 1960. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
^ "These Candidates Won Assembly Seats". The State. Associated Press. June 16, 1960. Retrieved February 27, 2026.

[6] Elected in May 1959 to fill the unexpired term of Alex H. Woodle.

[7] Democrat Robert C. Wasson resigned to become a member of the state tax commission.

[AssemblyGets-1] "General Assembly Gets Forty-Nine New Members". The Gaffney Ledger. July 12, 1960. Retrieved February 27, 2026.

[2] "Brown Again President Pro Tempore". The State. January 11, 1961. Retrieved February 27, 2026.

[3] Workman, W. D. (May 26, 1960). "5 Senators to Give Up Posts". The Greenville News. Retrieved February 27, 2026.

[4] "Complete SC Senate Race Lineup Given". The State. March 22, 1960. Retrieved February 27, 2026.

[5] "These Candidates Won Assembly Seats". The State. Associated Press. June 16, 1960. Retrieved February 27, 2026.

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