Untangling the Mystery of Alvin Greene

Authors

Charles S. Bullock III
Scott Buchanan

Volume Number

39

Issue Number

1

Abstract

We analyze the now-infamous 2010 South Carolina Democratic Senate primary. Despite almost no campaigning, political newcomer Alvin Greene defeated an incumbent state representative running for the seat. Using precinct-level data, we analyze the racially homogenous precincts in South Carolina to determine where and how Greene attracted enough support to win the nomination. Despite conjecture that Greene was a Republican plant, we find that Greene won a majority of the non-white vote, while narrowly losing the white vote. Greene's victory involved a bi-racial coalition in a predominantly black electorate. Greene's surprise win also underscores the weakness of the South Carolina Democratic Party today.

Recommended Citation

Bullock, Charles S. III and Buchanan, Scott (2011) "Untangling the Mystery of Alvin Greene," Journal of Political Science: Vol. 39: No. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/jops/vol39/iss1/5