Jim Hodges - 1998 Campaign

1998 Campaign

Hodges had no opposition in the primary, but a poll taken in June 1998 showed he had only 43 percent name recognition across South Carolina. Beasley, meanwhile, trounced his Republican primary opponent, Bill Able, 72 percent to 28 percent.

Beasley's popularity made him a formidable opponent, but Hodges immediately began to focus on the state of South Carolina's education system, which had students finishing last in the nation on the SAT exam in 1997.

Hodges cited Beasley's opposition to all-day kindergarten, and proposed a state lottery that would give about $150 million a year to educational programs such as pre-school classes and college scholarships. The proposal helped Hodges gain ground over Beasley, who initially opposed the lottery but changed his mind a month before the election.

Beasley's missteps also helped Hodges pull ahead in the election. In the heated issue of whether the Confederate flag should be removed from the dome of the state Capitol, Beasley was initially in favor of allowing the flag to remain. In November 1996, he switched positions, calling for the removal of the battle flag to the Capitol grounds – a move to which some fellow Republicans reacted angrily.

Hodges won the gubernatorial race with a clear 53 percent to 45 percent margin, carrying nearly every rural county. He did especially well in the urban areas of Charleston County and Richland County – home to South Carolina's capital, Columbia. In fact, Hodges became the first challenger in over a century to defeat a sitting governor in South Carolina.