Brian Gaines | |
---|---|
39th Comptroller General of South Carolina | |
Assumed office May 12, 2023 | |
Governor | Henry McMaster |
Preceded by | Richard Eckstrom |
Personal details | |
Born | Brian Jerome Gaines 1981or1982(age 42–43) Barnwell,South Carolina,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Education | University of South Carolina (BA,MPA) |
Brian Jerome Gaines (born 1981/1982) [1] is an American civil servant and politician who currently serves as the Comptroller General of South Carolina. He was appointed by Republican Governor Henry McMaster on May 12,2023,by recess appointment,following the resignation of Richard Eckstrom. [2] [3] He is South Carolina's first black constitutional officer since the Reconstruction era. [4] Election records show that Gaines is a member of the Democratic Party,making him the first Democrat to hold statewide office in South Carolina since Yancey McGill left the lieutenant governor's office in 2015. [5] Gaines's appointment prevented a constitutional crisis;since the office was vacant,no person could authorize the distribution of funds. [6] [7]
From Barnwell,Gaines graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelors of arts in political science in 2004 and with a masters in public administration in 2006. [8] [9] Upon his graduation,Gaines worked for the state of South Carolina as a human-resources consultant and later as a budget-research coordinator. Gaines also served as the state's director of policy and public affairs,deputy state budget director,and budget director for the state's Department of Administration. [10] [11] [12] He became a Certified Public Manager in 2014. [13]
Richard Eckstrom,who held the office of comptroller general for 20 years,resigned on April 30,2023,after a $3.5 billion accounting error. [14] Governor Henry McMaster appointed Gaines to the vacant seat on May 12,2023. [1] Because the state legislature's session ended on May 11,Gaines's May 12 appointment was a recess appointment,not subject to approval from the legislature,but he can be replaced by the legislature. Gaines is expected to hold the position until the General Assembly elects a successor or the new term begins in 2027. [lower-alpha 1] [15] [16] He has stated that he does not wish to run for the office in 2026. [4]
His appointment received bipartisan support in the solidly Republican state,with state Senator Larry Grooms,a Berkeley County Republican,stating he met his call for “a highly qualified seasoned professional with great knowledge of government accounting.”Governor McMaster stated,“He's qualified. He's respected by everyone. He has enormous experience. He's not a political person,and everyone we discussed this with has great respect and confidence in Mr. Gaines.” [4] Former chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party,Trav Robertson,released a statement on Twitter thanking McMaster and Grooms for the appointment of Gaines. [17]
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The 2014 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor of South Carolina, concurrently with the regularly-scheduled election and special election to both of South Carolina's U.S. Senate seats, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of South Carolina on November 4, 2014. All of South Carolina's executive officers were up for election as well as both United States Senate seats, and all of South Carolina's seven seats in the United States House of Representatives.
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The comptroller general of South Carolina is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of South Carolina. Forty individuals have held the office of comptroller general since 1800. The office has been held by Brian J. Gaines since May 12, 2023, who was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster as a recess appointment following the resignation of Richard Eckstrom on April 30, 2023. McMaster appointed Gaines to avoid a constitutional crisis; since the office was vacant, no person could authorize the distribution of funds.
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