sentences:  Rivers died in Birmingham during a heart surgery operation in December 1970, almost two months after being elected to a 16th term.Davis ran in the ensuing special election to replace Rivers for the 1st congressional district, which centered around Charleston and spread along the southern portion of the state's Atlantic coastline from Jasper County to Georgetown County.The close ties between Davis and Rivers enabled Davis to defeat future governor James B. Edwards by 5,100 votes in the district's first competitive election in memory.