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Haley:
40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Sheheen: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in South Carolina |
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The 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican Governor Mark Sanford was term limited and unable to seek re-election. Primary elections took place on June 8, 2010, and a runoff election, as was necessary on the Republican side, was held two weeks later on June 22.
Republican Nikki Haley defeated Democrat Vincent Sheheen in the general election by a margin of 4.5%. As of 2023, this is the closest that the Democrats have come to winning the governorship of South Carolina since their last victory in 1998. This is the first open-seat election since 1994. Haley was re-elected in 2014 in a rematch with Sheheen.
According to CNN, Haley initially entered the gubernatorial primary as a dark horse candidate. In an article covering her surge in the primary in the weeks prior to the election, it was noted that a "surprise" endorsement from former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin boosted Haley's candidacy. Haley's campaign was backed by TV ads run by ReformSC, an advocacy group funded by allies of outgoing governor Mark Sanford.[1]
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Henry McMaster |
Gresham Barrett |
André Bauer |
Nikki Haley |
Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling (report) | June 5–6, 2010 | 998 | ± 3.1% | 16% | 23% | 12% | 43% | -- | 7% |
Public Policy Polling (report) | May 22–23, 2010 | 638 | ± 3.9% | 18% | 16% | 13% | 39% | -- | 14% |
Rasmussen Reports (report) | May 17, 2010 | 931 | ± 4.5% | 19% | 17% | 12% | 30% | 3% | 13% |
Rasmussen Reports (report) | March 3, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 21% | 14% | 17% | 12% | 9% | 29% |
InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research ([2]) | December 16, 2009 | 371 | ± 5.1% | 22% | 9% | 22% | 13% | 6% | 28% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Nikki Haley |
Gresham Barrett |
Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling (report) | June 5–6, 2010 | 998 | ± 3.1% | 51% | 35% | 14% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Nikki Haley | 206,326 | 48.9 | |
Republican | Gresham Barrett | 91,824 | 21.8 | |
Republican | Henry McMaster | 71,494 | 16.9 | |
Republican | André Bauer | 52,607 | 12.4 | |
Total votes | 422,251 | 100 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Nikki Haley | 233,733 | 65.1 | |
Republican | Gresham Barrett | 125,601 | 34.9 | |
Total votes | 359,334 | 100 |
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Jim Rex |
Vincent Sheheen |
Robert Ford |
Dwight Drake* |
Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling (report) | May 22–23, 2010 | 410 | ± 4.8% | 30% | 36% | 11% | -- | -- | 23% |
Rasmussen Reports (report[permanent dead link]) | May 17, 2010 | 404 | ± 5.0% | 22% | 30% | 4% | -- | 12% | 32% |
Rasmussen Reports (report) | March 3, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 16% | 16% | 12% | 5% | 15% | 37% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Vincent Sheheen | 111,637 | 59.0 | |
Democratic | Jim Rex | 43,590 | 23.0 | |
Democratic | Robert Ford | 34,121 | 18.0 | |
Total votes | 189,348 | 100 |
Sponsored by the Republican Parties of Newberry and Laurens Counties
Aired on WIS-TV on September 22, 2009
Watch here
Sponsored by the SC Natural Resources Society
Aired on SCETV on November 3, 2009
(This debate marked the first time in state history that gubernatorial primary candidates from both parties participated in the same debate.)[22]
Watch here
Sponsored by the South Carolina Republican Party
Moderated by MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski
Aired on WCSC-TV on January 28, 2010
Watch here
Senator Vincent Sheheen -- South Carolina Chamber of Commerce[23]
Representative Nikki Haley-- National Rifle Association of America
Representative Nikki Haley-- South Citizens for Life
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
Cook Political Report[24] | Lean R | October 14, 2010 |
Rothenberg[25] | Safe R | October 28, 2010 |
RealClearPolitics[26] | Lean R | November 1, 2010 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball[27] | Likely R | October 28, 2010 |
CQ Politics[28] | Lean R | October 28, 2010 |
Poll source | Dates administered | Nikki Haley (R) | Vincent Sheheen (D) |
---|---|---|---|
Crantford & Associates[29] | October 21, 2010 | 48% | 37% |
Crantford & Associates[29] | October 18, 2010 | 43% | 41% |
Winthrop University[30] | October 13, 2010 | 47% | 39% |
Hamilton Campaigns[31] | October 5, 2010 | 49% | 44% |
Hamilton Campaigns[31] | October 5, 2010 | 49% | 44% |
Hamilton Campaigns[31] | October 4, 2010 | 51% | 41% |
Crantford & Associates[29] | October 2, 2010 | 45% | 41% |
Rasmussen Reports[32] | September 22, 2010 | 50% | 33% |
Rasmussen Reports[33] | August 25, 2010 | 52% | 36% |
Rasmussen Reports[34] | July 29, 2010 | 49% | 35% |
Rasmussen Reports[35] | June 23, 2010 | 52% | 40% |
Rasmussen Reports[36] | June 10, 2010 | 55% | 34% |
Public Policy Polling[37] | May 22–23, 2010 | 44% | 34% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Nikki Haley | 690,525 | 51.37% | −3.75% | |
Democratic | Vincent Sheheen | 630,534 | 46.91% | +2.12% | |
United Citizens | Morgan B. Reeves | 20,114 | 1.50% | N/A | |
Write-ins | 3,025 | 0.23% | N/A | ||
Majority | 59,991 | 4.46% | −5.87% | ||
Turnout | 1,344,198 | 50.92% | +6.42% | ||
Republican hold | Swing |
Debates
Official campaign websites