On account of Kennedy’s known support for Civil Rights, Thurmond refused to support the Democratic Party's nominee in The 1960 Presidential Election. Thurmond himself was up for re-election that year and despite his party disloyalty, he won the South Carolina Democratic Primary with nearly 90% of the vote. Like much of the South during this time period, South Carolina was still effectively a one-party state where winning the Democratic primary was tantamount to victory. In the 1960 South Carolina Senate race, Thurmond ran unopposed in the General Election, a Republican candidate did not even appear on the ballot. This situation would change rapidly however and as of 2021, 1960 remains the last time a Democrat won South Carolina's Class 2 Senate Seat.