David Beasley

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Gov. David Beasley (R-SC)

David Muldrow Beasley (born February 26, 1957) is a United States politician. He was the Governor of South Carolina from 1995 until 1999.

David Beasley began his political career as a member of the U.S. Democratic Party, but switched to the U.S. Republican Party long before his time as governor. His first run for public office was at the age of 20, when, as a junior attending Clemson University, he won a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

He was a member of the House from 1979 until 1995. During the 1994 election for governor, he and his Democratic opponent, Nick Theodore, both had tough primary fights within their own parties. Beasley went on to win the general election by a vote of 50%-48%.

Beasley was defeated in his 1998 bid for re-election by Democrat Jim Hodges. Reasons cited for Beasley's defeat: owners of video poker machines, which were legal in South Carolina at the time, poured millions of dollars into advertisements attacking Beasley for trying to ban video poker; Beasley's efforts to move the Confederate flag from the top of the South Carolina capitol to a place on the capitol grounds; and Beasley's opposition to all-day kindergarten. Following his term as Governor, Beasley served as a fellow at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

In 2003, Beasley was a recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his stand on removing the Confederate flag from atop the South Carolina capitol, which hurt his re-election support. In early 2004 he announced as a candidate for the US Senate on the Republican ticket. Despite winning 40 of South Carolina's counties in the June 8, 2004 Primary, Beasley was defeated in the June 22, 2004 Runoff by Rep. Jim DeMint of Greenville, South Carolina.

In April, 2005, Governor Beasley, along his former Chief Legal Counsel in his administration, Henry L. Deneen, incorporated the Center for Global Strategies, Ltd (CGS). CGS focuses on developmental initiatives in the non-integrated world. Currently, Governor Beasley serves as its Chairman of the Board.

Beasley is married to the former Mary Wood Payne and is the father of four children: Mary Hunter, Sarah Catherine, David Jr., and Samuel Ross. Governor Beasley presently resides in Society Hill, SC, located in Darlington County.