Governor of South Carolina
Encyclopedia
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state
for the State of South Carolina
. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government
, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio Commander-in-Chief
of the National Guard
when not called into Federal
use. The Governor's responsibilities include making yearly "State of the State" addresses to the South Carolina General Assembly
, submitting an executive budget and ensuring that state laws are enforced
The 116th and current Governor of South Carolina is Nikki Haley
, who is in her first term after being elected in 2010. Haley defeated Democratic candidate Vincent Sheheen in the November 2010 midterm elections. Haley is the first female and first minority governor in the state's history.
. The current chain of succession is:
If all three are unable to be Governor, then the General Assembly
will elect a new Governor.
, located at 800 Richland Street in Columbia
, on Arsenal Hill
, is the official residence of the Governor of South Carolina. It was built in 1855 and became the official residence of the Governor in 1868. The South Carolina Constitution in Section 20 of Article IV specifies that the Governor is to reside where the General Assembly convenes.
. In 1778, the constitution was amended to change the title for the chief of the executive branch from President to Governor.
A new constitution was promulgated in 1865 following the capture of the state by the Union Army
in the Civil War
. It called for the direct election
of the Governor, but continued to limit the vote to white males. On October 18, 1865, James Lawrence Orr
was the first Governor of South Carolina to be elected by popular vote.
Following the state's failure to adopt the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the US Congress
eliminated all offices of state government. A temporary military government
headed by Edward Canby
was set up until new elections were held after the writing of the Constitution of 1868. All male citizens above the age of 21, regardless of race, were given the right to vote and the Governor was allowed to be elected to two consecutive terms.
The election of Ben Tillman in 1890 to Governor by the support of agrarian
reformers forced a new constitutional convention to be held. The constitution of 1895 instituted a poll tax and also required voters to pass a literacy test. It did increase the Governor's powers by granting a line-item veto
on the budget.
In 1926, an amendment to the constitution was passed that lengthened the Governor's term to 4 years, but prevented consecutive terms. Governor Richard Riley
pushed for an amendment to allow for two consecutive terms and it was passed by the voters in 1980.
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
for the State of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the National Guard
South Carolina National Guard
The South Carolina National Guard consists of the South Carolina Army National Guard and the South Carolina Air National Guard . American law specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered...
when not called into Federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
use. The Governor's responsibilities include making yearly "State of the State" addresses to the South Carolina General Assembly
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
, submitting an executive budget and ensuring that state laws are enforced
The 116th and current Governor of South Carolina is Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley is the 116th and current Governor of South Carolina. A member of the Republican Party, Haley represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2010....
, who is in her first term after being elected in 2010. Haley defeated Democratic candidate Vincent Sheheen in the November 2010 midterm elections. Haley is the first female and first minority governor in the state's history.
Requirements to hold office
There are three legal requirements set forth in Section 2 of Article IV of the South Carolina Constitution. (1) Belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, no atheists. (2) Be at least 30 years of age. (3) Citizen of the United States and a resident of South Carolina for 5 years preceding the day of election. The first is thought to be unenforceable.Term(s) of office
Under Section 4 in Article IV of the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor serves a four-year term in office beginning at noon on the first Wednesday following the second Tuesday in January next after his or her election and ending at noon on the first Wednesday following the second Tuesday in January four years later. Section 3 of Article IV states that no person shall be elected Governor for more than two successive terms. It makes no reference to limits of the total number of terms held.Powers
- Appoints directors to 14 cabinet agencies, but most appointments are shared with the General Assembly.
- Commander-in-Chief of the South Carolina National GuardUnited States National GuardThe National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
. - Commander-in-Chief of the South Carolina State GuardSouth Carolina State GuardThe South Carolina State Guard is the State Defense Force of the U.S. state of South Carolina.The State Guard maintains its headquarters in Columbia, which is the state capitol, and brigade level commands are located in the cities of Columbia , Charleston , and Fountain Inn .-Status:The...
, which is an auxiliary of the National Guard organized for in-state homeland defense to protect the lives and property of South Carolinians. - Grants reprieves and commutes death sentencesCapital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
to life imprisonmentLife imprisonmentLife imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. - May call the General Assembly to an extra session.
- A general vetoVetoA veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
and a Line-item vetoLine-item vetoIn United States government, the line-item veto, or partial veto, is the power of an executive authority to nullify or cancel specific provisions of a bill, usually a budget appropriations bill, without vetoing the entire legislative package...
on budget bills.
Succession
If the governor resigns, dies, fails to qualify, cannot perform duties or is removed from office, then the lieutenant governor will become governor. During impeachment or when the governor is temporarily disabled or absent from office, then the lieutenant governor will have the powers of the governorActing governor
An acting governor is a constitutional position created in some U.S. states when the governor dies in office or resigns. In some states, the governor may also be declared to be incapacitated and unable to function for various reasons, including illness and absence from the state for more than a...
. The current chain of succession is:
| # | Position | Current office holder | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lieutenant Governor | Ken Ard Ken Ard (politician) Ken Ard is the 88th and current Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, having taken office on January 12, 2011.-Early life:Ken Ard was born in Pamplico, South Carolina, on December 18, 1963... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
| 2 | President Pro Tempore of the Senate South Carolina Senate The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives... |
Glenn F. McConnell Glenn F. McConnell Glenn F. McConnell is a Republican member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 41st District since 1980 and currently serving as President Pro Tempore.... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
| 3 | Speaker of the House South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections... |
Robert W. Harrell, Jr. Robert W. Harrell, Jr. Robert W. Harrell, Jr. is a Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 114th District since first elected in 1992. Harrell has served as the Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives since House members elected him to the post in 2005.-Early... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
If all three are unable to be Governor, then the General Assembly
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
will elect a new Governor.
Oath of office
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am duly qualified, according to the Constitution of this State, to exercise the duties of the office to which I have been elected, (or appointed), and that I will, to the best of my ability, discharge the duties thereof, and preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of this State and of the United States. So help me God."Official residence
The Governor's MansionSouth Carolina Governor's Mansion
The South Carolina Governor's Mansion is a historic U.S. governor's mansion in the Arsenal Hill neighborhood of Columbia, South Carolina and the official residence of the Governor of South Carolina. It is a Federal style home influenced by British Colonial plantations...
, located at 800 Richland Street in Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, on Arsenal Hill
Arsenal Hill (Columbia)
Arsenal Hill is a neighborhood located in Columbia, South Carolina. Arsenal Hill was one of the first residential neighborhoods in the city and was the site of an arsenal during the Civil War. The South Carolina Governor's Mansion is located in Arsenal Hill...
, is the official residence of the Governor of South Carolina. It was built in 1855 and became the official residence of the Governor in 1868. The South Carolina Constitution in Section 20 of Article IV specifies that the Governor is to reside where the General Assembly convenes.
History
The South Carolina Constitution of 1776 specified for the Governor (known as the President) to be chosen by the General AssemblySouth Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
. In 1778, the constitution was amended to change the title for the chief of the executive branch from President to Governor.
A new constitution was promulgated in 1865 following the capture of the state by the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It called for the direct election
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
of the Governor, but continued to limit the vote to white males. On October 18, 1865, James Lawrence Orr
James Lawrence Orr
James Lawrence Orr was an American politician who served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in the United States Congress...
was the first Governor of South Carolina to be elected by popular vote.
Following the state's failure to adopt the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the US Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
eliminated all offices of state government. A temporary military government
Military government
Military government can refer to conditions under either Military occupation, or Military dictatorship.-Military Government:Military government is the form of administration by which an occupying power exercises governmental authority over occupied territory.The Hague Conventions of 1907 specify...
headed by Edward Canby
Edward Canby
Edward Richard Sprigg Canby was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War, Reconstruction era, and the Indian Wars...
was set up until new elections were held after the writing of the Constitution of 1868. All male citizens above the age of 21, regardless of race, were given the right to vote and the Governor was allowed to be elected to two consecutive terms.
The election of Ben Tillman in 1890 to Governor by the support of agrarian
Agrarianism
Agrarianism has two common meanings. The first meaning refers to a social philosophy or political philosophy which values rural society as superior to urban society, the independent farmer as superior to the paid worker, and sees farming as a way of life that can shape the ideal social values...
reformers forced a new constitutional convention to be held. The constitution of 1895 instituted a poll tax and also required voters to pass a literacy test. It did increase the Governor's powers by granting a line-item veto
Line-item veto
In United States government, the line-item veto, or partial veto, is the power of an executive authority to nullify or cancel specific provisions of a bill, usually a budget appropriations bill, without vetoing the entire legislative package...
on the budget.
In 1926, an amendment to the constitution was passed that lengthened the Governor's term to 4 years, but prevented consecutive terms. Governor Richard Riley
Richard Riley
Richard Wilson Riley , American politician, was United States Secretary of Education under President Bill Clinton and the 111th Governor of South Carolina. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
pushed for an amendment to allow for two consecutive terms and it was passed by the voters in 1980.