| Election Name: | 1978 South Carolina gubernatorial election |
| Country: | South Carolina |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1974 South Carolina gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1974 |
| Next Election: | 1982 South Carolina gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1982 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 1978 |
| Image1: | Image:Portrait of SC Governor Dick Riley.jpg |
| Nominee1: | Richard Riley |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 384,898 |
| Percentage1: | 61.3% |
| Nominee2: | Edward Lunn Young |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 236,946 |
| Percentage2: | 37.7% |
| Map Size: | 220px |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | James B. Edwards |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Richard Riley |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1978 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1978 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Richard Riley, the Democratic nominee, defeated Republican Edward Lunn Young and became the 111th governor of South Carolina.
The South Carolina Democratic Party held their primary for governor on June 13, featuring three high tier candidates. Richard Riley, a former member of the General Assembly, emerged as the winner of the runoff election over Lieutenant Governor W. Brantley Harvey Jr. on June 27.
| Democratic Primary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| W. Brantley Harvey, Jr. | 142,785 | 37.5 |
| 125,184 | 32.9 | |
| 112,793 | 29.6 | |
| Democratic Primary Runoff | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Richard Riley | 180,882 | 53.3 | +20.4 |
| W. Brantley Harvey, Jr. | 158,655 | 46.7 | +9.2 |
The South Carolina Republican Party held their primary for governor on June 13. The race between Edward Lunn Young and Raymon Finch drew little interest compared to the Democratic primary and turnout for the Republican was less than that of 1974. Young defeated Finch in a close contest and earned the right to face Riley in the general election.
| Republican Primary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Edward Lunn Young | 12,143 | 51.4 |
| Raymon Finch | 11,501 | 48.6 |
The general election was held on November 7, 1978 and Richard Riley was elected as the next governor of South Carolina. Turnout was higher than the previous gubernatorial election because of the increasingly competitive nature of the race between the two parties.
|-| | colspan=5 |Democratic gain from Republican|-