1988Final results
1988 election for South Carolina's 4th District
U.S. House · South Carolina
Elizabeth Patterson (D) won with 52.2% of the vote, defeating Knox White (R) by 4.3 points.
Elizabeth PattersonDemocrat · winner
52.2%90,234
Knox WhiteRepublican
47.8%82,793
173,027 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 1988
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.
Elizabeth PattersonKnox White
$974.7K
Raised by the campaign
$631.3K
$998.2K
Spent by the campaign
$630.9K
$2.5K
Cash on hand
$373
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1988.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1988