André Bauer
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R. André Bauer (born March 20, 1969) is an American politician who has been the Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina since 2003. At 38, he is currently the youngest Lieutenant Governor in the United States. He is a member of the Republican Party.
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[edit] Biography
State Senator André Bauer of Lexington was inaugurated as South Carolina's 84th Lieutenant Governor on January 15, 2003, after soundly defeating fellow State Senator Phil Leventis, a Democrat from Sumter, in the 2002 general election.
Bauer was born in Charleston on March 20, 1969. He is the son of William R. Bauer and Saundrea Jill Bauer, and is a graduate of both Irmo High School and the University of South Carolina, where he was a Varsity Male Cheerleader and a member of the Rho-Omega chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.
Bauer was immediately preceded in office by Lieutenant Governor Bob Peeler, who unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Congressman Mark Sanford for the 2002 Republican Gubernatorial Nomination. Sanford went on to defeat the incumbent Democrat, Governor Jim Hodges, that November.
Sanford and Bauer have generally had little contact with one another on a day-to-day basis. Not only are the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina elected on completely separate tickets, keeping them generally apart on the campaign trail, but according to some sources, including opinion pieces in several state newspapers, the two men don't even like each other.
Before his election to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1996, Bauer was a self-employed businessman in the retail sector, selling sports merchandise to national franchise stores like Wal-Mart. In 1999, Bauer was elected to the South Carolina State Senate in a special election. He was then re-elected in the 2000 general election and served in the State Senate until his inauguration as Lieutenant Governor.
Bauer is also a Major in the South Carolina Civil Air Patrol. He has been recognized for his support of military families while in office, including his endorsement of the Military Relief Fund, which offers financial assistance to the families of Reservists and Guardsmen who have been called to active duty as a result of the Iraq War.
Bauer has also been a Junior Achievement teacher and is a current member of the following boards: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Columbia, the Lake Murray Tourism and Recreation Association, the American Diabetes Association, the Columbia Visitor's Bureau, the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce, and the Sons of the American Revolution.
In 2001, Bauer was recognized as Alumnus of the Year for the University of South Carolina College of Applied Professional Science.
Bauer is single and does not have children. He is member of Union United Methodist Church.
[edit] "Conservative values"
As Lieutenant Governor, Bauer serves in both the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch of state government. After serving his first two years as President of the State Senate, Bauer touted his ruling of nearly $1 billion in tax increases as out of order, staying true to what he believes are his "conservative values."
Apart from being a staunch social conservative, Lieutenant Governor Bauer is also a strong believer in free-market capitalism. In late 2003, Bauer proposed the corporate re-naming of state roads, parks, and monuments for a fee to be paid by the corporation.
[edit] Lt. Governor's Office on Aging
Lt. Governor Bauer's position at the Lt. Governor’s office on Aging is largely ceremonial, though he does exercise executive authority over major decisions. He appoints the Director of the Office on Aging (Curtis M Loftis Jr) and approves the budget and other major decisions. He is the prime advocate and spokesman for the Seniors of South Carolina. The office administers approximately 39 million dollars in funds, and directs the Aging Network of South Carolina, which is present in each of the 46 counties. The Lt Governor’s Office on Aging is located in the Wilbur Smith building on Gervais Street in downtown Columbia.
[edit] Airplane crash
On May 23, 2006, Bauer was injured in a single-engine airplane crash shortly after taking off from a small airfield in Blacksburg, South Carolina.[1] Bauer, who was the pilot of the Mooney M20E single-prop airplane, and his passenger escaped the wreckage with minor injuries before the plane caught fire.
[edit] Political future
Bauer faced two primary challenges for re-election, and a general election in 2006.
The first challenge was launched by Mike Campbell, son of legendary former Governor Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. (R). Bauer also faced Dr. Henry Jordan, founder of the South Carolina branch of the Christian Coalition. During the primaries, Bauer portrayed himself as the underdog in this three-way race, despite being an incumbent. His opponents outspent him 3 to 1 in the campaigns.
In the course of the campaign, Campbell received the endorsements of former President George H.W. Bush, a friend of his well-respected father, and First Lady Jenny Sanford, the wife of Governor Mark Sanford.
Dr. Jordan is most famous for saying "Screw the Buddhists and kill the Muslims" during a State Board of Education debate on the public display of the Ten Commandments nine years ago. He has since stated that he considers this episode a "closed issue... now that more people realize all the terrorism worldwide is committed by Muslim extremists."[2]
The primary of June 13, 2006, ended with Mike Campbell receiving 47 percent of the vote, Andre Bauer 37%, and Henry Jordan 18%. As Campbell did not win a majority, he faced Bauer in a runoff election on June 27 for the Republican nomination. Bauer won the runoff with slightly over 51 percent of vote.
He then narrowly defeated Democrat Robert A. Barber, Jr., a former state representative, attorney and lobbyist in the General Election. Bauer received 543,414 votes (50.08%), while Barber received 540,306 votes (49.79%). [3]
[edit] 2008 Presidential Endorsement
On Thursday, January 17, Lt. Governor Bauer announced his support for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, with the following statement: "I, like many voters, have been previously undecided, but this election is too important to sit on the sidelines. This week, I have decided to vote for Mike Huckabee, and I urge all South Carolinians to join me in voting for Mike Huckabee this Saturday. Simply put, I believe Mike Huckabee is the best of several fine candidates to lead America. As America faces tough times, Mike Huckabee has the character, integrity, and proven leadership to ensure our greatest days are yet to come." [1].
