The 1970 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina were held on November 3, 1970, to select six Representatives for two-year terms from the state of South Carolina. The primary elections were held on June 9 and the runoff elections were held two weeks later on June 23. All five incumbents who ran were re-elected and the open seat in the 2nd district was retained by the Republicans. The composition of the state delegation remained five Democrats and one Republican.
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All 6 South Carolina seats to the United States House of Representatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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District results
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Incumbent Democratic Congressman L. Mendel Rivers of the 1st congressional district, in office since 1941, was unopposed in his bid for re-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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Democratic | L. Mendel Rivers (incumbent) | 63,891 | 100.0 | 0.0 | |
Majority | 63,891 | 100.0 | 0.0 | ||
Turnout | 63,891 | ||||
Democratic hold |
Incumbent Republican Congressman Albert Watson of the 2nd congressional district, in office since 1963, chose to run for Governor instead of re-election. Floyd Spence, a Republican state senator who had unsuccessfully run for the seat in the 1962 elections, defeated Democratic challenger Heyward McDonald.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Floyd Spence | 48,093 | 53.1 | -4.5 | |
Democratic | Heyward McDonald | 42,005 | 46.4 | +4.0 | |
Independent | Donald Cole | 486 | 0.5 | +0.5 | |
Majority | 6,088 | 6.7 | -8.5 | ||
Turnout | 90,584 | ||||
Republican hold |
Incumbent Democratic Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn of the 3rd congressional district, in office since 1951, defeated Republican challenger Grady Ballard.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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Democratic | William J.B. Dorn (incumbent) | 60,708 | 75.2 | +9.1 | |
Republican | Grady Ballard | 19,981 | 24.8 | -6.9 | |
Majority | 40,727 | 50.4 | +16.0 | ||
Turnout | 80,689 | ||||
Democratic hold |
Incumbent Democratic Congressman James R. Mann of the 4th congressional district, in office since 1969, was unopposed in his bid for re-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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Democratic | James R. Mann (incumbent) | 52,175 | 100.0 | +38.8 | |
Majority | 52,175 | 100.0 | +77.6 | ||
Turnout | 52,175 | ||||
Democratic hold |
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Thomas S. Gettys of the 5th congressional district, in office since 1964, defeated Republican challenger B. Leonard Phillips.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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Democratic | Thomas S. Gettys (incumbent) | 43,712 | 65.9 | -8.8 | |
Republican | B. Leonard Phillips | 21,911 | 33.1 | +11.3 | |
Independent | James B. Sumner | 688 | 1.0 | -2.5 | |
Majority | 21,801 | 32.8 | -20.1 | ||
Turnout | 66,311 | ||||
Democratic hold |
Incumbent Democratic Congressman John L. McMillan of the 6th congressional district, in office since 1939, won the Democratic primary and defeated Republican Edward B. Baskin in the general election.
Democratic primary | ||
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Candidate | Votes | % |
John L. McMillan | 26,192 | 49.6 |
Claude L. Stephens | 11,534 | 21.8 |
Bill R. Craig | 11,047 | 20.9 |
Olin Sansbury Jr. | 4,042 | 7.7 |
Democratic primary runoff | |||
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Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
John L. McMillan | 46,030 | 71.2 | +21.6 |
Claude L. Stephens | 18,620 | 28.8 | +7.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | John L. McMillan (incumbent) | 46,926 | 64.1 | +5.8 | |
Republican | Edward B. Baskin | 25,546 | 34.9 | -5.0 | |
Independent | Charles H. Smith | 773 | 1.0 | -0.8 | |
Majority | 21,380 | 29.2 | +10.8 | ||
Turnout | 73,245 | ||||
Democratic hold |