1865 South Carolina gubernatorial election

The 1865 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on October 18, 1865, to elect the governor of South Carolina. It was the first election in which the voters of South Carolina were able to directly choose the governor as a result of the ratification of the South Carolina Constitution of 1865. However, the constitution only permitted for white men to cast ballots, with blacks being forbidden from voting.

General election
The general election was held on October 18, 1865, and James Lawrence Orr was elected as the first postbellum governor of South Carolina. He won a narrow victory over Wade Hampton, who campaigned for his supporters not to vote for him. Neither candidate was aligned with any political party for the election.