Hello REALTORS®,
It’s a new year. During January, our governmental bodies have sworn in new officeholders and elected new chairpersons. I follow these changes each year, and I thought you might want to read a summary of who is where and doing what.
Federal
Obviously, the big changes in Washington are in the Executive Branch after President Trump was inaugurated last week. There has been plenty written about that. But there were changes in the Legislative Branch as well.
Republicans hold slim majorities in the House and Senate, but that does mean they lead our government in Washington. And because South Carolina’s politics lean Republican, some South Carolinians will be players over the next two years.
Senator Lindsay Graham is one of the most senior members of the US Senate, and he now chairs the Senate Budget Committee, which puts him at the center of one of President Trump’s key goals—reducing the size and scope of the Federal government. Senator Graham has served in the Senate since 2003. Before that, he served in the US House from 1995 until 2003.
Did you know? Senator Graham represented Oconee County’s second district in the SC House from 1993 until 1995.
Senator Tim Scott is the “junior senator” from South Carolina, but he has represented South Carolina for 12 years. He holds two key positions in the Senate: chair of the Senate Banking Committee and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (a key Republican leadership post charged with electing more Republicans to the US Senate).
Scott previously served in the US House, SC House, and Chairman of Charleston County Council.
The Western Upstate also has a new representative in the US House: Congresswoman Sheri Biggs. She succeeded Jeff Duncan, who served for 14 years. Biggs has been appointed to serve on the House committees on Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and Science, Space, and Technology. Biggs is a Lt. Colonel in the US Air Force.
Columbia
Like Washington, Columbia is firmly in the control of Republicans. In fact, Republicans hold supermajorities both the House and Senate.
Senators representing the Western Upstate were all reelected, but the House has four new members:
- District 2, Adam Duncan, Republican. He defeated Bill Sandifer.
- District 3, Phillip Bowers, Republican. Former Pickens County School Board member. He defeated Jerry Carter.
- District 7, Thomas Lee Gilreath, Republican. He defeated Jay West.
- District 9, Blake Sanders, Republican. Former mayor of West Pelzer. He succeeded Anne Thayer.
The Western Upstate strongly influences the General Assembly:
- Senator Thomas Alexander, Republican, Oconee County, is the President of the Senate and chairs the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee.
- Dist. 1 Rep. Bill Whitmire, Republican, Oconee and Pickens counties, is second vice chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
- Dist. 4 Rep. David Hiott, Republican, Pickens County, is the House Majority Leader.
- Dist. 8 Rep. Don Chapman (Anderson County) and District 11 Rep. Craig Gagnon (Anderson and Abbeville counties), both Republicans, moved to the House Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee this year. That committee has oversight of licensing of Realtors and other licensed professionals.
Local Government
Last year’s elections resulted in changes to all three county councils in the Western Upstate.
Anderson County Council has one new member:
- Business leader Chris Sullivan succeeded John Wright Jr. representing Dist. 1.
- Councilmembers Tommy Dunn and Brett Sanders were reelected chairman and vice chairman, respectively.
- Realtor Cindy Wilson was reelected to a new term representing Dist. 7.
All are Republicans. In fact, just one member of county council is a Democrat: Dist. 2 Councilman Glenn Davis.
Pickens County Council has two new members:
- Dist. 4 Councilman Scott Lang, Republican. He defeated Roy Costner.
- Dist. 6 Councilman Dr. A.D. Dale Holloway, Republican. He defeated Dr. Henry Wilson.
Pickens County Council elected a new slate of leadership at their January meeting:
- Chairman Alex Saitta, representing Dist. 3, replacing Councilman Chris Bowers (Dist. 5).
- Vice Chairman Chris Lollis, representing Dist. 2, replacing Roy Costner.
- Vice Chairman Pro Tem Dale Holloway, replacing Chairman Alex Saitta.
Oconee County Council has one new member:
- Dist. 4 Councilman Thomas James, Republican. He defeated Julian Barton.
County council reelected their officers to new terms:
- Dist. 2 Councilman Matthew Durham, Chairman
- Dist. 3 Councilman Don Mize, Vice Chairman
- Dist. 5 Councilman Glenn Hart, Chairman Pro Tem
Two cities in the Western Upstate also have new councils. And there are 8 school boards in the Western Upstate. I’ll cover them next week.
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Michael Dey, Director of Government Affairs