South Carolina Democrat Ernst “Fritz” Hollings, who served as governor from 1959 to 1963 and in the Senate from 1966 to 2005, died Saturday at the age of 97. Hollings was elected governor as an ardent segregationist, but during his tenure, he helped peacefully integrate the state’s public schools and accepted that the colleges must also be desegregated. At the end of his term as governor he told the legislature they “must make clear South Carolina’s choice, a government of laws rather than a government of men. This should be done with dignity.”
Hollings had run for the U.S. Senate in 1962 but lost the Democratic primary, which was still largely the only contest that mattered, 66-34 to incumbent Olin Johnson. Johnson died in office and Gov. Don Russell, whom Hollings had defeated in the 1958 primary, resigned from office to accept a Senate appointment from the new governor. Hollings won their primary rematch 61-39, but he faced a challenging general election in a state where Republicans were quickly gaining strength. The state’s other senator, Strom Thurmond, had joined the GOP in 1964 months ahead of Barry Goldwater’s 59-41 win against President Lyndon Johnson.
On Nov. 8, 1966, Hollings won election to the Senate on what proved to be an unusual day in American politics. The infamous Thurmond won his first race as a Republican 62-38 while at the same time, Hollings beat Republican Marshall Parker in a special election for the final two years of the late Sen. Olin Johnston's term 51-49. That marked the last time that a Republican and a Democrat each won a Senate race held in the same state on the same day. Hollings and Thurmond would serve together for 36 years, which helped make Hollings the longest-serving junior senator in American history.
While Hollings’ own 1984 presidential bid went nowhere, he easily won re-election for decades. In 1986, his GOP foe was Henry McMaster, who is now South Carolina’s governor. McMaster suggested during that campaign that Hollings take a drug test to which the incumbent responded, “I’ll take a drug test if you’ll take an IQ test.” Neither test happened, but Hollings won 63-36. However, Hollings only won six years later 50-47. His final re-election campaign against GOP Rep. Bob Inglis ended with Hollings prevailing 53-46. Hollings retired in 2004 and Republican Jim DeMint decisively won the race to succeed him.
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