1918 United States Senate election in South Carolina
The primary election in 1918 for Senate was shaping up to be a contentious affair between Ben Tillman and Cole Blease, two of the state's most notorious demagogues.Blease had performed surprisingly well in the 1916 gubernatorial election where he had almost knocked off incumbent Governor Richard Irvine Manning III.The death of Tillman in July ended all prospects of an epic battle and the race became a contest between Blease and Nathaniel B.The South Carolina Democratic Party held the primary on August 27 and Dial garnered over 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election.Blease suffered the worst loss of his political career mainly because of his vitriolic opposition to World War I which made him appear as a traitor.