David Beasley

In his capacity as Executive Director of WFP, Beasley serves at the level of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and is a member of the organization's Senior Management Group (SMG) under the leadership of Secretary-General António Guterres. Since 2019, he has been a member of the World Economic Forum High-Level Group on Humanitarian Investing, co-chaired by Børge Brende, Kristalina Georgieva and Peter Maurer.

In February 2017, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (also a former South Carolina governor) nominated Beasley to be the next Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP). United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization José Graziano da Silva appointed Beasley to the post in March 2017, saying the former governor brought "extensive experience with key governmental and business leaders and stakeholders around the world, with very strong resource mobilisation skills." Guterres also said Beasley had been among 23 applications/nominations for the position.

In 2010, Beasley endorsed Henry McMaster in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primaries.

In 2007, Beasley endorsed Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries.

In 2004, Beasley unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate to replace retiring Democrat Fritz Hollings. Beasley lost the Republican nomination to Congressman Jim DeMint of Greenville, South Carolina.In April 2005, Beasley, along with his administration's former chief legal counsel, Henry Deneen, incorporated the Center for Global Strategies, Ltd (CGS). CGS focuses on developmental initiatives in the non-integrated world. Governor Beasley serves as the Chairman of the Board.

Following his term as governor, Beasley was invited as a fellow at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2003, Beasley was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award by U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) for his controversial request to the South Carolina legislature to remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse dome.

Beasly was strongly opposed to gambling, which was legal in South Carolina until 2002. At the time, many gas stations, convenience stores, and poker "casinos" were established across the state, and as Beasley supported legislation that would outlaw gambling, the video poker industry generated campaign advertisements through "Ban Beasley" billboards and radio ads.

Until 2000, the Confederate flag flew on top of the South Carolina State House, which had been raised over the Capitol dome in 1961 as an expression of opposition to racial integration. Beasley initially supported the flag's presence but announced on statewide television in 1996 that he had reversed his decision and believed the flag should be relocated to a monument elsewhere on the grounds. Beasley's position on the Confederate flag cost him many Republican votes in the next election. The flag was removed from the capitol dome in 2000 after Beasley left office. It was displayed on a pole in front of the statehouse until it was removed from the grounds in 2015 after the Emanuel Nine shooting. Beasley also faced allegations of having an affair with his former press secretary, Ginny Wolfe. Beasley refuted the claims, stating "I can tell you right up front [my wife] Mary Wood and I love each other dearly. We both have been faithful to one another 100 percent."

South Carolina had a strong economy while Beasley was governor, with unemployment at a record-low 3.5% in 1998. Beasley often touted his Christ-centered beliefs and his conservatism in a state known for its strong ties to Christianity and conservative politics.

In the 1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election, Beasley was defeated by Democrat Jim Hodges 53% to 45%.

Beasley was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1979 until 1995, serving as majority whip from 1985 to 1986 and the majority leader from 1987 to 1989. He served as the youngest Speaker pro tempore and Majority Leader in the nation. It was during the 1991–92 legislative session that Beasley switched to the Republican Party. During the 1994 election for governor, both Beasley and his Democratic opponent Lieutenant Governor Nick Theodore faced tough primary opposition within their respective parties. Beasley defeated his toughest competitor, former congressman and state senator Arthur Ravenel Jr., in both the primary and run-off, and went on to win the general election by a narrow margin of 50%–48%.

Beasley served as a member of the House from 1979 until 1995, rising through the party ranks to become Majority Whip. He served as the youngest Speaker pro tempore and Majority Leader in the nation, being elected to the position from 1987–1989. It was during the 1991–92 legislative session that Beasley switched to the Republican Party. During the 1994 election for governor, both Beasley and his Democratic opponent Lieutenant Governor Nick Theodore had tough primary fights within their own respective parties. Beasley, however, beat his toughest competitor, former Congressman and State Senator Arthur Ravenel Jr., in both the primary and run-off, and went on to win the general election by a narrow margin of 50%–48%.

David Muldrow Beasley (born February 26, 1957) is an American politician and the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme. Beasley, a member of the Republican Party, served one term as the 113th Governor of South Carolina from 1995 until 1999; he was defeated by Democrat Jim Hodges in the 1998 election.