When I look back on my life of service to my nation, my state and my community, I have zero regrets. I have always set out to leave the place in which I’ve served in better shape than I found it.
When I first took office in 2010 in the state House of Representatives, South Carolina’s unemployment rate was over 10%. It is now the lowest in the nation and at a historic low 2.3%.
Our roads and bridges were crumbling with an underfunded Department of Transportation that had misplaced priorities and little transparency. Now, DOT has received the critical reform it needed and increased funding so that Spartanburg is finally receiving its fair share of road funding, more than any county in the state currently.
I served my nation in the United States Air Force in Southeast Asia during Vietnam, served my state and retired as a State Law Enforcement Division agent, and for the past 10 years I have served my community as the S.C. House District 33 representative.
It has been a sincere honor to be your voice in Columbia, dealing with important issues and moving South Carolina forward. Currently serving as the Spartanburg County legislative delegation chairman and the assistant majority leader in the House, I have also served as the Republican caucus chief whip, rallying votes to advance our shared conservative values.
In my first session in the state House, I was elected chairman of the freshman caucus. I authored legislation to create the “Blue Alert” system, publicly broadcasting when a law enforcement officer has been injured or killed in the line of duty. I have championed countless bills to improve public safety and to reform the Department of Corrections. I sponsored and helped pass the “Ashley Hall Bill” in 2013, hopefully saving lives for years to come.
I have proudly held the line for and worked to advance the pro-life cause to defend the unborn.
Together with our Republican delegation and leadership, we have begun work to reform business licenses and ease the burden on hardworking families and small businesses. I received numerous Business Advocate Awards with a five-year average of 100% for supporting business-friendly legislation.
I’m genuinely proud to see our community flourish and grow, and I’m confident our best days are yet to come.
However, it is with a heavy heart that I announce to you that my time serving in the state House is coming to an end, and I will not seek re-election.
Going forward, I am elated to spend more time with my wife, Linda, my children and my grandchildren.
It is easy to be cynical and point out problems without providing any tangible solutions. In these times of political extremism, it’s more important than ever that we have open and honest discourse — where both sides can disagree but find common ground.
I hope I have made an impact on others to serve selflessly and tirelessly, because South Carolina and our future generations deserve opportunities to succeed and grow here.
It has truly been a privilege to serve, and I thank you for that honor.