1980Final results
1980 election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina
U.S. Senate · South Carolina
Ernest Hollings (D) won with 70.4% of the vote, defeating Marshall Mays (R) by 40.7 points.
Ernest HollingsDemocrat · winner
70.4%612,554
Marshall MaysRepublican
29.6%257,946
870,500 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1980
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Ernest HollingsMarshall Mays
$810.3K
Raised by the campaign
$61.8K
$723.4K
Spent by the campaign
$61.4K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1980.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1980