William Smith (South Carolina senator)
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| William Smith | |
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Junior Senator, South Carolina
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| In office December 4, 1816 – March 3, 1823 November 29, 1826 – March 3, 1831 |
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| Preceded by | John Taylor William Harper |
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| Succeeded by | Robert Y. Hayne Stephen D. Miller |
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| Born | September 6, 1762 North Carolina, USA |
| Died | June 26, 1840 Huntsville, Alabama, USA |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican, Democrat |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
William Smith (September 6, 1762 – June 26, 1840) was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the U.S. Senate representing South Carolina in 1816. He ran unsuccessfully for reelection when his term expired in 1823. He was again elected Senator in 1826 and was again an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1831.
In the presidential election of 1836, 23 electors from Virginia voted for him for Vice President. Those same electors had voted for Martin Van Buren for President and were pledged to vote for Van Buren's running mate Richard M. Johnson, but instead cast their votes for Smith. This denied Johnson the electoral majority and resulted in the only vice presidential contest so far that needed to be determined by the Senate. The Senate elected Johnson Vice President. This was not the first time that faithless electors had voted for Smith. In the election of 1828, seven electors from Georgia who were pledged to vote for John C. Calhoun voted for Smith instead.
On March 3, 1837, outgoing President Andrew Jackson nominated Smith to the Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed Smith's nomination by a vote of 23–18; nevertheless, Smith declined to serve.
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| Preceded by John Taylor |
United States Senator (Class 2) from South Carolina 1816–1823 Served alongside: John Gaillard |
Succeeded by Robert Y. Hayne |
| Preceded by William Harper |
United States Senator (Class 3) from South Carolina 1826–1831 Served alongside: Robert Y. Hayne |
Succeeded by Stephen D. Miller |
| Preceded by (none) |
Democratic Party vice presidential candidate(a) 1828 (lost) |
Succeeded by Martin Van Buren |
| Preceded by Martin Van Buren |
Democratic Party vice presidential candidate(b) 1836 (lost) |
Succeeded by Richard M. Johnson, Littleton W. Tazewell, James K. Polk(c) |
