Jim Hodges

2025-05-07T13:16:17Z

2600:1702:5220:17E0:B8B3:C556:9A11:A0E8: /* 2002 gubernatorial election */

{{short description|American politician}}
{{for|persons of a similar name|James Hodges (disambiguation)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Jim Hodges
|image = Portrait of Jim Hodges.jpg
|order = 114th [[Governor of South Carolina]]
|lieutenant = [[Bob Peeler]]
|term_start = January 13, 1999
|term_end = January 15, 2003
|predecessor = [[David Beasley]]
|successor = [[Mark Sanford]]
|state_house1 = South Carolina
|district1 = 45th
|term_start1 = December 2, 1986
|term_end1 = December 5, 1997
|predecessor1 = Tom Gibson Mangum
|successor1 = [[Eldridge Emory]]
|birthname = James Hovis Hodges
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|11|19}}
|birth_place = [[Lancaster, South Carolina]], U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|spouse = Rachel Gardner
|children = 2
|alma_mater = [[University of South Carolina]] ([[Bachelor of Science in Business Administration|BSBA]], [[Juris Doctor|JD]])
}}
'''James Hovis Hodges''' (born November 19, 1956)<ref name="carolana">{{cite web |title=James Hovis Hodges 84th Governor of the State of South Carolina |url=https://www.carolana.com/SC/Governors/jhhodges.html |website=www.carolana.com |access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref> is an American businessman, attorney, and politician who served as the [[List of Governors of South Carolina|114th governor of South Carolina]] from 1999 to 2003. A former member of the [[South Carolina House of Representatives]], Hodges is the most recent [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to serve as the state's governor.

==Early life and career==
James Hovis Hodges was born on November 19, 1956, to parents George N. and Betty H. Hodges.<ref name="carolana"/>{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} 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 [[Bachelor of Business Administration|BSBA]] in 1979 and earned election to [[Phi Beta Kappa]].<ref name="Moore">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041216234023/http://mooreschool.sc.edu/moore/alumni/Honoring/Bios/bio_hodges.htm |archive-date=December 16, 2004 |title=The Honorable James H. Hodges |publisher=Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina |access-date=March 28, 2017 |url=http://mooreschool.sc.edu/moore/alumni/Honoring/Bios/bio_hodges.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> During his undergraduate studies, Hodges worked summers at a cotton mill to pay for his schooling.<ref name="About the Governor"/>

In 1982, Hodges received a [[juris doctor|J.D.]] from the [[University of South Carolina School of Law]].<ref name="About the Governor"/> From 1983 to 1986, Hodges served as Lancaster County Attorney.<ref name="Our Campaigns">{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=514 |title=Hodges, James H. "Jim" |work=Our Campaigns |access-date=March 28, 2017 }}</ref>

==South Carolina House of Representatives==
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CPDB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0F24442C2E1D7B8F&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB579A3BDA420&p_openurl=NewsBank |title=Democrat wins vote in S.C. – Hodges takes over Mangum's old seat |work=Charlotte Observer |author=Melton, Brian |page=1A |date=December 3, 1986 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="About the Governor">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021213052744/http://www.state.sc.us/governor/about.html |archive-date=December 13, 2002 |title=The Honorable Jim Hodges |publisher=Office of the Governor, State of South Carolina |date=2001 |url=http://www.state.sc.us/governor/about.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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.<ref name=Hodges98.com>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990129063600/http://www.hodges98.com/jh-bio.html |archive-date=January 29, 1999 |title=Jim Hodges: 1998 Democratic Candidate for Governor of South Carolina |url=http://www.hodges98.com/jh-bio.html |work=Hodges98.com |access-date=March 28, 2017 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

While serving in the state legislature, Hodges also worked as general counsel for The Springs Company.<ref name=Hodges98.com />

==Governor of South Carolina 1999–2003==
===1998 gubernatorial election===
{{main|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]].<ref name="unexpected tussle">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/keyraces98/stories/sc093098.htm |title=S. Carolina Incumbent in Unexpected Tussle |author=Edsall, Thomas B. |author-link=Thomas B. Edsall |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=September 30, 1998 |access-date=March 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816092638/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/keyraces98/stories/sc093098.htm |archive-date=August 16, 2000 |url-status=live }}</ref> Donations from video gambling interests helped Hodges narrow a near million-dollar fundraising gap with Beasley.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980714074753/http://charleston.net/pub/archive/news/hodges0711.htm |archive-date=July 14, 1998 |title=Hodges' war chest trails Beasley |url=http://charleston.net/pub/archive/news/hodges0711.htm |work=The Post and Courier |place=Charleston, S.C. |author=Swindell, Bill |date=July 11, 1998 |access-date=March 28, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In what was reported as an upset victory,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/11/05/the-new-govenors/dd0e9662-5f47-4e37-a2b5-ef6beeff5da0/ |title=The new governors |date=November 5, 1998 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 28, 2017 }}</ref> Hodges won the gubernatorial race by a 8% margin and won 35 of 46 counties.<ref name="SC encyclopedia"/> Hodges became the first challenger to defeat a sitting governor since the South Carolina constitution first allowed consecutive terms in 1980.<ref name="Carter Young">{{cite web|url=http://www.ipspr.sc.edu/grs/SCCEP/Articles/governor.htm |title=The Governor: Powers, Practices, Roles, and the South Carolina Experience |author=Carter, Luther F., and Young, Richard D. |work=The South Carolina Governance Project |publisher=Center for Governmental Services, Institute for Public Service and Policy Research, The University of South Carolina |access-date=March 28, 2017 |date=2000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204225644/http://www.ipspr.sc.edu/grs/SCCEP/Articles/governor.htm |archive-date=February 4, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="self-effacing"/>

===Tenure as governor===

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]].<ref>{{citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=08MDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22jim+hodges%22+%22Martin+luther+king%22&pg=PA49|title=S. Carolina Governor Signs King Holiday Bill; Added Confederate Day Prompts Criticism|work=Jet|page=49|date=May 22, 2000|volume=97|issue=24|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Firestone|first=David|date=April 13, 2000|title=S. Carolina Senate Votes To Remove Confederate Flag|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/national/race/041300race-ra.html|access-date=2021-05-25|website=New York Times}}</ref>

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.<ref name="SC encyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/hodges-james-hovis/|title=Hodges, James Hovis|author=Romine, Ronald|encyclopedia=South Carolina Encyclopedia|publisher=University of South Carolina|access-date=March 28, 2017|date=May 17, 2016}}</ref><ref name="self-effacing">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021110000356/http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/4274630.htm |archive-date=November 10, 2002 |title=Self-effacing Hodges always goal-oriented |url=http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/4274630.htm |author=Click, Carolyn |work=The State |date=October 13, 2002 |access-date=March 28, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Foster|first=David D.|date=2005|title=Current State Legislative and Judicial Profiles on Land-Use Regulations in the U.S.|url=https://realestate.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/512.pdf|access-date=August 17, 2021|page=114}}</ref> Hodges also instituted the construction of the [[New Cooper River Bridge|Ravenel Bridge]] in [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]], which is North America's longest cabled spanned bridge.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} [[File:Nikki Haley and Jim Hodges.jpg|thumb|left|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 in South Carolina|Interstate 26]] one-way westbound.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1999/09/18/met_270525.shtml |title=Hodges apologizes for evacuation traffic problems |author=DeMao, Alisa |work=Augusta Chronicle |date=September 18, 1999 |access-date=March 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000118073213/http://augustachronicle.com/stories/091899/met_124-7179.shtml |archive-date=January 18, 2000 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/19/weekinreview/ideas-trends-the-perfect-traffic-jam-hurricane-floyd-lessons-in-the-evacuation.html|title=The Perfect Traffic Jam|author=Wald, Matthew L.|work=The New York Times|date=September 19, 1999|access-date=March 28, 2017}}</ref> Hodges also received blame for financial problems with the state Department of Commerce and long lines at Division of Motor Vehicles offices.<ref name="self-effacing"/>

In 2003, the [[University of South Carolina]] self-reported to the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|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.<ref name="recruiting violations">{{cite web|url=http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/colleges/university_of_south_carolina/6338380.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030804000157/http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/colleges/university_of_south_carolina/6338380.htm |archive-date=August 4, 2003 |title=USC makes changes after recruiting violations |author=Person, Joseph |work=The State |date=July 19, 2003 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 27, 2017 }}</ref>

===2002 gubernatorial election===
{{main|2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election}}
In 2002 Hodges ran for reelection Against former [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] [[Mark Sanford]]. Like Hodges' 1998 bid, the race concentrated on issues such as education and the state budget.<ref name="Sanford defeats Hodges">{{cite web|author=Sheinin, Aaron |title=Sanford defeats Hodges to become next S.C. governor |url=http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/4397180.htm |work=The State |date=November 5, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021116002713/http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/4397180.htm |archive-date=November 16, 2002 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

During the campaign, Sanford "likened Hodges to a weasel and to former President [[Bill Clinton]] and [[Al Gore]]," reported ''[[The State (newspaper)|The State]]'' in October 2002.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021104232104/http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/4274601.htm |archive-date=November 4, 2002 |last=Stroud |first=Joseph S. |last2=Sheinin |first2=Aaron |title=Clean campaigns sure look muddy |work=The State |date=October 13, 2002 |url=http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/4274601.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> On November 5, 2002, Sanford defeated Hodges by 64,282 votes. To date, Hodges remains the last Democrat to have served as governor of South Carolina.

==Post-political career==
[[File:Jim Hodges 20080928.jpg|thumb|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.

He endorsed General [[Wesley Clark]]'s (D-[[Missouri State University|Arkansas]]) [[Wesley Clark 2004 presidential campaign|campaign]] in the [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2004|2004 Democratic presidential primaries]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 7, 2003 |title=Hodges endorses Clark |url=https://www.wltx.com/article/news/hodges-endorses-clark/101-384252457 |access-date=March 3, 2023 |website=WLTX |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2007, Hodges publicly supported [[Stephen Colbert]]'s attempt to [[Stephen Colbert presidential campaign, 2008|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 [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008|2008 Democratic presidential primaries]]. The Obama campaign, in turn, named Hodges as one of its national co-chairs.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ambinder |first=Marc |date=January 2, 2008 |title=Ex-SC Gov. Hodges Endorses Obama |work=The Atlantic |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2008/01/ex-sc-gov-hodges-endorses-obama/51419/ |access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref>

Hodges and his wife Rachel live in Columbia with their two sons. He is an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]].

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041216234023/http://mooreschool.sc.edu/moore/alumni/Honoring/Bios/bio_hodges.htm Moore School of Business Biography]
*[http://www.sciway.net/hist/governors/hodges.html SCIway Biography of James Hovis Hodges]
* {{C-SPAN|57522}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BA30fwXSq8 1999 James Hovis Hodges Swearing in ceremony] on [[South Carolina Educational Television]]
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{{Governors of South Carolina}}
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[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:21st-century South Carolina politicians]]
[[Category:Democratic Party governors of South Carolina]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives]]
[[Category:People from Lancaster, South Carolina]]
[[Category:University of South Carolina alumni]]
[[Category:University of South Carolina trustees]]
[[Category:American United Methodists]]
[[Category:McGuireWoods people]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly]]

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Jim Hodges