James Hovis Hodges (born November 19, 1956)[1] is an American businessman, attorney, and politician who served as the 114th governor of South Carolina from 1999 to 2003. Since his victory in 1998, Hodges has remained the only Democrat elected to the South Carolina Governor's office since the 1982 election.
At age 30, Hodges first won an election in a December 1986 special election for the 45th district seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives vacated by the late Tom Mangum.[5] While in the House, Hodges served as chair of the House Judiciary Committee from 1992 until 1994 and as House Democratic Leader from 1995 until 1997.[3]
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce named Hodges "Legislator of the Year" in 1993, and the National Federation of Independent Business bestowed Hodges with its "Guardian of Small Business" award.[6]
While serving in the state legislature, Hodges also worked as general counsel for The Springs Company.[6]
Hodges entered the 1998 gubernatorial election in South Carolina an underdog but took advantage of controversy and missteps by incumbent Republican governor David Beasley, namely Beasley's indecisiveness on allowing a Confederate flag to fly at the state capitol and call to eliminate video poker.[7] Donations from video gambling interests helped Hodges narrow a near million-dollar fundraising gap with Beasley.[8]
In what was reported as an upset victory,[9] Hodges won the gubernatorial race with a 53 to 45 percent margin and won 35 of 46 counties.[10] Hodges became the first challenger to defeat a sitting governor since the South Carolina constitution first allowed consecutive terms in 1980.[11][12]
Term as governor (1999–2003)Edit
Acts as governorEdit
As South Carolina's 114th governor, Hodges signed a law that made Martin Luther King, Jr. Day an official state holiday; South Carolina was the last state in the U.S. to do so. That law also added a Confederate Memorial Day, a move that drew opposition from the NAACP.[13] Several hours later, Hodges signed the South Carolina Heritage Act which the General Assembly had passed as a compromise so that the Confederate flag could be moved from the state capitol's dome to its grounds.[14]
Public education was a major focus in the Hodges administration, as Hodges oversaw the founding of the South Carolina Education Lottery and the First Steps preschool initiative. The governor also helped pass a $1.1 billion school construction initiative, and the lottery funded millions in college scholarships to South Carolina students.[10][12]
Hodges made efforts to reform land use policy in South Carolina. He signed several executive orders which created task forces and interagency councils. Besides the Historic Preservation Task Force created by Hodges, Governor Mark Sanford did not continue Hodges policies.[15] Hodges also instituted the construction of the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, which is North America's longest cabled spanned bridge.[citation needed]
Hodges received criticism in his first year in office for his management of the Hurricane Floyd evacuation, particularly his decision not to make Interstate 26 one-way westbound.[16][17] Hodges also received blame for financial problems with the state Department of Commerce and long lines at Division of Motor Vehicles offices.[12]
In 2003, the University of South Carolina self-reported to the NCAA several secondary recruiting violations on Hodges' part. Hodges had met with recruits, something he was prohibited from doing as an ex-oficio trustee of the university.[18]
Like Hodges' 1998 bid, the race concentrated on issues such as education and the state budget. On November 5, 2002, former U.S. RepresentativeMark Sanford defeated Hodges in the general election for governor, 53 to 47 percent.[19]
During the campaign, Sanford "likened Hodges to a weasel and to former President Bill Clinton and Al Gore," reported The State in October 2002.[20] To date, Hodges remains the last Democrat to have served as governor of South Carolina.
Post-political careerEdit
Hodges in 2008
Since leaving office as governor, Hodges has served as a senior advisor at McGuire Woods Consulting, LLC, and as partner in the affiliated law firm of McGuireWoods, LLP, and is based in Columbia, South Carolina.
Hodges and his wife Rachel live in Columbia with their two sons. He is an Episcopalian.
ReferencesEdit
^ ab"James Hovis Hodges 84th Governor of the State of South Carolina". www.carolana.com. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
^. Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina. Archived from the original on December 16, 2004. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^ abc. Office of the Governor, State of South Carolina. 2001. Archived from the original on December 13, 2002.
^"Hodges, James H. "Jim"". Our Campaigns. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^Melton, Brian (December 3, 1986). "Democrat wins vote in S.C. – Hodges takes over Mangum's old seat". Charlotte Observer. p. 1A.
^ ab. Hodges98.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 1999. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^Edsall, Thomas B. (September 30, 1998). "S. Carolina Incumbent in Unexpected Tussle". The Washington Post. from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^Swindell, Bill (July 11, 1998). . The Post and Courier. Charleston, S.C. Archived from the original on July 14, 1998. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^"The new governors". The Washington Post. November 5, 1998. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^ abRomine, Ronald (May 17, 2016). "Hodges, James Hovis". South Carolina Encyclopedia. University of South Carolina. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^Carter, Luther F., and Young, Richard D. (2000). . The South Carolina Governance Project. Center for Governmental Services, Institute for Public Service and Policy Research, The University of South Carolina. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ abcClick, Carolyn (October 13, 2002). . The State. Archived from the original on November 10, 2002. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^"S. Carolina Governor Signs King Holiday Bill; Added Confederate Day Prompts Criticism", Jet, Johnson Publishing Company, vol. 97, no. 24, p. 49, May 22, 2000
^Firestone, David (April 13, 2000). "S. Carolina Senate Votes To Remove Confederate Flag". New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Foster, David D. (2005). "Current State Legislative and Judicial Profiles on Land-Use Regulations in the U.S." (PDF). p. 114. Retrieved August 17, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^DeMao, Alisa (September 18, 1999). . Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 18, 2000. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^Wald, Matthew L. (September 19, 1999). "The Perfect Traffic Jam". The New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
^Person, Joseph (July 19, 2003). . The State. Archived from the original on August 4, 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
^Sheinin, Aaron (November 5, 2002). . The State. Archived from the original on November 16, 2002.
^Stroud, Joseph S., and Sheinin, Aaron (October 13, 2002). . The State. Archived from the original on November 4, 2002.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"Hodges endorses Clark". WLTX. November 7, 2003. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
^Ambinder, Marc (January 2, 2008). "Ex-SC Gov. Hodges Endorses Obama". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
hodges, persons, similar, name, james, hodges, disambiguation, james, hovis, hodges, born, november, 1956, american, businessman, attorney, politician, served, 114th, governor, south, carolina, from, 1999, 2003, since, victory, 1998, hodges, remained, only, de. For persons of a similar name see James Hodges disambiguation James Hovis Hodges born November 19 1956 1 is an American businessman attorney and politician who served as the 114th governor of South Carolina from 1999 to 2003 Since his victory in 1998 Hodges has remained the only Democrat elected to the South Carolina Governor s office since the 1982 election Jim Hodges114th Governor of South CarolinaIn office January 13 1999 January 15 2003LieutenantBob PeelerPreceded byDavid BeasleySucceeded byMark SanfordMember of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 45th districtIn office December 2 1986 December 5 1997Preceded byTom Gibson MangumSucceeded byEldridge EmoryPersonal detailsBornJames Hovis Hodges 1956 11 19 November 19 1956 age 66 Lancaster South CarolinaPolitical partyDemocraticSpouseRachel GardnerChildren2Alma materUniversity of South Carolina BSBA JD Contents 1 Early life and career 2 South Carolina House of Representatives 3 Governor of South Carolina 3 1 Gubernatorial election 1998 3 2 Term as governor 1999 2003 3 2 1 Acts as governor 3 2 2 Controversies 3 3 Gubernatorial election 2002 4 Post political career 5 References 6 External linksEarly life and career EditJames Hovis Hodges was born on November 19 1956 to parents George N and Betty H Hodges 1 citation needed He grew up in Lancaster South Carolina near the North Carolina border He attended Davidson College but later transferred to the University of South Carolina where he completed a BSBA in 1979 and earned election to Phi Beta Kappa 2 During his undergraduate studies Hodges worked summers at a cotton mill to pay for his schooling 3 In 1982 Hodges received a J D from the University of South Carolina School of Law 3 From 1983 to 1986 Hodges served as Lancaster County Attorney 4 South Carolina House of Representatives EditAt age 30 Hodges first won an election in a December 1986 special election for the 45th district seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives vacated by the late Tom Mangum 5 While in the House Hodges served as chair of the House Judiciary Committee from 1992 until 1994 and as House Democratic Leader from 1995 until 1997 3 The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce named Hodges Legislator of the Year in 1993 and the National Federation of Independent Business bestowed Hodges with its Guardian of Small Business award 6 While serving in the state legislature Hodges also worked as general counsel for The Springs Company 6 Governor of South Carolina EditGubernatorial election 1998 Edit Main article 1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election Hodges entered the 1998 gubernatorial election in South Carolina an underdog but took advantage of controversy and missteps by incumbent Republican governor David Beasley namely Beasley s indecisiveness on allowing a Confederate flag to fly at the state capitol and call to eliminate video poker 7 Donations from video gambling interests helped Hodges narrow a near million dollar fundraising gap with Beasley 8 In what was reported as an upset victory 9 Hodges won the gubernatorial race with a 53 to 45 percent margin and won 35 of 46 counties 10 Hodges became the first challenger to defeat a sitting governor since the South Carolina constitution first allowed consecutive terms in 1980 11 12 Term as governor 1999 2003 Edit Acts as governor Edit As South Carolina s 114th governor Hodges signed a law that made Martin Luther King Jr Day an official state holiday South Carolina was the last state in the U S to do so That law also added a Confederate Memorial Day a move that drew opposition from the NAACP 13 Several hours later Hodges signed the South Carolina Heritage Act which the General Assembly had passed as a compromise so that the Confederate flag could be moved from the state capitol s dome to its grounds 14 Public education was a major focus in the Hodges administration as Hodges oversaw the founding of the South Carolina Education Lottery and the First Steps preschool initiative The governor also helped pass a 1 1 billion school construction initiative and the lottery funded millions in college scholarships to South Carolina students 10 12 Hodges made efforts to reform land use policy in South Carolina He signed several executive orders which created task forces and interagency councils Besides the Historic Preservation Task Force created by Hodges Governor Mark Sanford did not continue Hodges policies 15 Hodges also instituted the construction of the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston which is North America s longest cabled spanned bridge citation needed Controversies Edit Nikki Haley gives Jim Hodges pen after bill signing to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina State House Hodges received criticism in his first year in office for his management of the Hurricane Floyd evacuation particularly his decision not to make Interstate 26 one way westbound 16 17 Hodges also received blame for financial problems with the state Department of Commerce and long lines at Division of Motor Vehicles offices 12 In 2003 the University of South Carolina self reported to the NCAA several secondary recruiting violations on Hodges part Hodges had met with recruits something he was prohibited from doing as an ex oficio trustee of the university 18 Gubernatorial election 2002 Edit Main article 2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election Like Hodges 1998 bid the race concentrated on issues such as education and the state budget On November 5 2002 former U S Representative Mark Sanford defeated Hodges in the general election for governor 53 to 47 percent 19 During the campaign Sanford likened Hodges to a weasel and to former President Bill Clinton and Al Gore reported The State in October 2002 20 To date Hodges remains the last Democrat to have served as governor of South Carolina Post political career Edit Hodges in 2008Since leaving office as governor Hodges has served as a senior advisor at McGuire Woods Consulting LLC and as partner in the affiliated law firm of McGuireWoods LLP and is based in Columbia South Carolina He endorsed General Wesley Clark s D Arkansas campaign in the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries 21 In 2007 Hodges publicly supported Stephen Colbert s attempt to run for president in the South Carolina primaries and even offered himself up as a vice presidential choice should the comedian actually win the nomination In February 2008 the former governor officially endorsed U S Senator Barack Obama D Illinois in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries The Obama campaign in turn named Hodges as one of its national co chairs 22 Hodges and his wife Rachel live in Columbia with their two sons He is an Episcopalian References Edit a b James Hovis Hodges 84th Governor of the State of South Carolina www carolana com Retrieved February 4 2022 The Honorable James H Hodges Moore School of Business University of South Carolina Archived from the original on December 16 2004 Retrieved March 28 2017 a b c The Honorable Jim Hodges Office of the Governor State of South Carolina 2001 Archived from the original on December 13 2002 Hodges James H Jim Our Campaigns Retrieved March 28 2017 Melton Brian December 3 1986 Democrat wins vote in S C Hodges takes over Mangum s old seat Charlotte Observer p 1A a b Jim Hodges 1998 Democratic Candidate for Governor of South Carolina Hodges98 com Archived from the original on January 29 1999 Retrieved March 28 2017 Edsall Thomas B September 30 1998 S Carolina Incumbent in Unexpected Tussle The Washington Post Archived from the original on August 16 2000 Retrieved March 28 2017 Swindell Bill July 11 1998 Hodges war chest trails Beasley The Post and Courier Charleston S C Archived from the original on July 14 1998 Retrieved March 28 2017 The new governors The Washington Post November 5 1998 Retrieved March 28 2017 a b Romine Ronald May 17 2016 Hodges James Hovis South Carolina Encyclopedia University of South Carolina Retrieved March 28 2017 Carter Luther F and Young Richard D 2000 The Governor Powers Practices Roles and the South Carolina Experience The South Carolina Governance Project Center for Governmental Services Institute for Public Service and Policy Research The University of South Carolina Archived from the original on February 4 2012 Retrieved March 28 2017 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link a b c Click Carolyn October 13 2002 Self effacing Hodges always goal oriented The State Archived from the original on November 10 2002 Retrieved March 28 2017 S Carolina Governor Signs King Holiday Bill Added Confederate Day Prompts Criticism Jet Johnson Publishing Company vol 97 no 24 p 49 May 22 2000 Firestone David April 13 2000 S Carolina Senate Votes To Remove Confederate Flag New York Times Retrieved May 25 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Foster David D 2005 Current State Legislative and Judicial Profiles on Land Use Regulations in the U S PDF p 114 Retrieved August 17 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link DeMao Alisa September 18 1999 Hodges apologizes for evacuation traffic problems Augusta Chronicle Archived from the original on January 18 2000 Retrieved March 28 2017 Wald Matthew L September 19 1999 The Perfect Traffic Jam The New York Times Retrieved March 28 2017 Person Joseph July 19 2003 USC makes changes after recruiting violations The State Archived from the original on August 4 2003 Retrieved March 27 2017 Sheinin Aaron November 5 2002 Sanford defeats Hodges to become next S C governor The State Archived from the original on November 16 2002 Stroud Joseph S and Sheinin Aaron October 13 2002 Clean campaigns sure look muddy The State Archived from the original on November 4 2002 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Hodges endorses Clark WLTX November 7 2003 Retrieved March 3 2023 Ambinder Marc January 2 2008 Ex SC Gov Hodges Endorses Obama The Atlantic Retrieved March 13 2023 External links EditMoore School of Business Biography SCIway Biography of James Hovis Hodges Appearances on C SPAN 1999 James Hovis Hodges Swearing in ceremony on South Carolina Educational TelevisionParty political officesPreceded byNick Theodore Democratic nominee for Governor of South Carolina1998 2002 Succeeded byTommy MoorePolitical officesPreceded byDavid Beasley Governor of South Carolina1999 2003 Succeeded byMark SanfordU S order of precedence ceremonial Preceded byDavid Beasleyas Former Governor Order of precedence of the United States Succeeded byMark Sanfordas Former Governor Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jim Hodges amp oldid 1156250062, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
