In 1974, Charles D. Ravenel, a political newcomer, became the Democratic Party's nominee for governor, but a dispute over residency qualifications kept him off the general election ballot. Campaigns for the U.S. Senate in 1978 and for Congress in 1980 were also unsuccessful. However, Ravenel's innovative style and charismatic manner reinvigorated the political system, and his method of using the media as a campaign tool was a first for South Carolina and changed politics within the state.