Thomas Alexander | |
---|---|
2nd President of the South Carolina Senate | |
Assumed office December 6, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Harvey S. Peeler Jr. |
Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 1st district | |
Assumed office 1994 | |
Preceded by | Alexander Macaulay |
Member of the South CarolinaHouseofRepresentatives from the 1st district | |
In office 1987–1994 | |
Preceded by | Marshall Cleveland |
Succeeded by | Bradley Cain |
Personal details | |
Born | Seneca,South Carolina | July 25,1956
Political party | Democratic (Before 1996) Republican (1996–present) |
Spouse | Lynda Gibson |
Children | 3 |
Parent(s) | Virginia and Claude Alexander |
Education | Anderson University (AA) Clemson University (BS) |
Thomas C. Alexander (born July 25,1956) is an American businessman and politician currently serving as the second President of the South Carolina Senate. A Republican,he has represented South Carolina's 1st Senate District since 1994. Alexander has represented Oconee County,specifically Walhalla,South Carolina,for more than four decades.
Thomas Alexander was born on July 25,1956 in Seneca,South Carolina to Virginia and Claude Alexander. [1] In 1976,he received an associate degree from Anderson University,and would graduate from Clemson University with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1978. In 2014,the Clemson Alumni Association awarded him the 2014 Distinguished Service Award. [2]
Alexander started his political career on the Walhalla City Council in 1982. [3] His father,Claude Alexander,similarly served on that same council. In 1985,Alexander was elected Mayor Pro Tempore. [4]
Alexander was first elected as a Democrat to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1986. [5] He went unchallenged in the 1988 [6] and 1990 [7] elections.
In 1986,Alexander was one of four primary challengers seeking to unseat Democratic incumbent M. Duke Cleveland. [8] After a strong primary performance,Alexander defeated Cleveland in a subsequent runoff. [9] He was elected to his first term after an uncontested general election.
In 1992,Alexander was the uncontested Democratic nominee for his district. He defeated Republican Z. Tommy Abbott,Jr. in the general election with 62% of the vote. [10]
Alexander represented House District 1 of Oconee and Pickens Counties through 1994. [11] During 1992 and 1993,he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Labor,Commerce and Industry. [12] [13]
In 1991,South Carolina's auto-insurance system,known as the "mandate-to-write" law,faced further criticism from citizens about rising costs. Alexander,then chairmen of committees in the House that deal with insurance,spoke in favor of rethinking a new system for car insurance in the state. [14] However,even as late as 1993,this issue was untouched,despite much government effort spent on discussing restructuring. [15]
In 1992,he voted in favor of extending the lifetime of a nuclear waste landfill in Barnwell County. [16]
Alexander as first elected to the South Carolina Senate to represent Senate District 1 in a special election in 1994. He has frequently run in his district uncontested. This includes 2000, [17] 2004, [18] 2012, [19] 2016, [20] 2020, [21] and 2024. [22]
In 1994,Alexander won a special election to finish Alexander Macaulay's senate term after Macaulay was elected to the judicial bench for the 10th Circuit (Anderson and Oconee counties). [23] At this time,Alexander was still a Democrat. He defeated Republican Gresham Barrett. [24]
Leading up to the 1996 election,Alexander switched parties from the South Carolina Democratic Party to the Republican one. This was announced when he filed for reelection in the Republican primary. [25] Alexander received about 87% of the Republican primary vote,defeating David Riggs for the party's nomination. In the general election,Alexander defeated his opponent Democrat Ted Phillips,with Alexander winning 75% of the vote. [26]
In 2008, Alexander defeated Polly Nicolay, a Constitution Party challenger, in a landslide victory. [27] He won, receiving 85% of the vote. [28]
Following redistricting after the 2020 US Census, S.C. Senate District 1 covers Oconee County and a portion of Pickens County. [1]
As of April 2024 [update] , Alexander chairs the Interstate Cooperation Committee and the Legislative Oversight Committee. He also sits on the Banking and Insurance Committee, the Ethics Committee, the Finance Committee, the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, and the Medical Affairs Committee. In the past, he has also chaired the Finance Committee [29] and the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee. [1]
Alexander serves as Vice-Chair of the College and University Trustee Screening Commission, a Joint Committee with members from the House and Senate. [30]
When the Upstate had an uptick in bear removal requests in 2001, Alexander proposed a bill that would legalize the shooting of bears that threaten "property, crops, people, or pets." He later acknowledged his bill to have been too broad in scope. [31]
In 2002, Alexander attempted to get a do-not-call law passed but found the bill stalled by extensive lobbying from banks, insurance companies, and credit card companies. [32]
In 2008, Alexander sponsored legislation to raise the state tax on cigarettes from 45 to 57 cents to raise funds for programs to help curtail smoking and health insurance. [33]
On December 6, 2021, Alexander was sworn in as the 2nd President of the South Carolina Senate. [4] [34] His time as President has overseen several events of note:
In 2023, he introduced 12 bills to the Senate, though none became law. [41] That year, he had also been a strong supporter of bipartisan efforts to crack down on the growing youth vaping epidemic in the state. [42] He also played a role in passing legislation for a statewide plan to address issues related to Alzheimer's and dementia. [43]
Alexander is pro-life. [40] He has voted in favor of South Carolina's heartbeat bills. [39]
He wants harsher penalties for fentanyl dealers, [46] [47] [48] and he is against medical marijuana legislation. [49] [50]
Alexander and his wife Lynda live in Walhalla, South Carolina. [1] They have three children and 13 grandchildren. [4] Alexander and his wife are Presbyterian, attending the historic church, the Walhalla Presbyterian Church. [2]
Previously, Alexander owned an office supplies store, Alexander's Office Supply, until 2022 when he sold it. New ownership changed its name to Alexander's Work & Wander. [51] While owner of Alexander's Office Supply, he published several historical books written by Rev. George Shealy such as a book about the founder of Walhalla, Johann Andreas Wagener, [52] and a book about the Mollohon Mill Village. [53]
He is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative lobbying group. [54] [55] He is the Vice Chairman of the Blue Ridge Bank.
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