Vincent Sheheen

Children’s Champion Award; Save the Children, 2017

Over the last decade, Senator Sheheen has emerged as the go to person for developing and enacting transformative change in South Carolina. Trusted by members of both parties and leaders in the legislature, executive branch, and business community, Senator Sheheen has been deeply involved in leading almost every recent, major effort to change policy, operations, and structure in South Carolina’s public sector. More importantly, he has been successful in making those changes.

For years, leaders and commentators had complained about South Carolina’s antiquated state government structure. The chief complaint was the lodging of power in the legislatively controlled Budget and Control Board. The reality, however, was that state government operations were too often not adequately controlled by either the Legislative or Executive Branches. Executive functions such as building and fleet management and I.T. were controlled by committee, and legislative oversight of state agencies did not exist. Change had been stymied by turf battles between governors and legislative leaders. Senator Sheheen saw that improving government did not have to be a zero sum game, and so he introduced the Government Restructuring Act of 2014. The Act created a Department of Administration run by the Governor’s appointee to handle truly administrative tasks. It abolished the Budget and Control Board. And perhaps most importantly, it created a system of Legislative oversight, ensuring that state agency operations will be reviewed by legislative committees to guard against mission creep, incompetence, and scandal. Senator Sheheen worked tirelessly to bring Republican and Democratic leaders together to pass his Restructuring Act, and it became law in February of 2014.

For years, leaders in South Carolina complained about “waste, fraud, and abuse” in state government. But little was done on an organizational level to confront these problems. After years of researching other states’ and organizations’ attempts to battle these problems, Senator Sheheen introduced legislation to create a South Carolina Inspector General’s Office. Working with Republican and Democratic co-sponsors and allies, the bill became law in 2012, and the Office of Inspector General has investigated and brought to light scores of problems in state government during the last seven years. Shoring up the Future- Pension Reform and Funding In 2016, South Carolina’s public pensions were in crisis. The pension’s unfunded liability had reached an unsustainable level exceeding $22 billion dollars and the outlook was bleak. The leadership of the Senate asked Senator Sheheen to co-chair a joint Senate and House committee to study the State’s pensions and develop solutions to the pending insolvency. Working with Representative Herbkershman, Senator Sheheen developed a pension reform plan that changed the state’s investment strategy, reformed the pensions’ governance and operations, and responsibly invested millions of state dollars into drawing down the unfunded liability. These decisions were tough, but necessary. As a result, South Carolina’s public pensions are on much firmer footing, paying down outstanding debt, reducing the long term amortization period, and investing more wisely for the future.

South Carolina’s state-funded, full day kindergarten was created in 2006 as a result of the Abbeville lawsuit, covering only 3,241 students in poverty at a cost of $23 million dollars. Despite national research on the importance of early education, the program remained static for six years without educating any more than this small number of children. In 2013, Senator Sheheen led an effort to expand four year old kindergarten to all at-risk children in our state. The effort successfully increased 4K coverage to 2,380 additional children in 17 new districts. In 2014, Senator Sheheen built a coalition with the Majority Leader, Senator Peeler, to expand 4K and codify it into permanent law. That effort led to expansion covering 64 of the 82 school districts in the state with an additional 2,040 children served From his role as Chairman of the Education/Finance subcommittee, Senator Sheheen has continued his push to expand 4K opportunities in South Carolina. Our State currently serves approximately 12,000 four year olds living in poverty in 64 counties due to this smart investment of $82 million dollars annually.

Outstanding Public Official, Friends of S.C. Libraries, 2018

Education Opportunity Act. The Act has been the focus of special hearings in the Senate in 2018 with a goal of passage in 2019. The Act would provide a much needed reinvestment in Higher Education in South Carolina, while making college more affordable and focusing on educating in-state students. Rebuilding our State’s Infrastructure- Funding Roads and Improving Operations South Carolina had not seen a major infusion of funding for roads since 1987, and the potholes and crumbling asphalt proved it. Many in South Carolina said this state of affairs would not change, but in 2017, President Pro Tem of the Senate, Hugh Leatherman, tasked Senator Sheheen with leading a committee to push through a road funding bill. Senator Sheheen spent countless hours building support for a multipronged effort that reformed the governance and operations of road administration, increased the gas tax, and made the overall tax code fairer in South Carolina. The bill was backed by Republicans and Democrats. Working closely with House Speaker, Jay Lucas, Senator Sheheen pushed through the bill with enough votes to override a veto from the Governor. South Carolina’s roads will see an infusion of more than half a billion dollars per year in an effort to responsibly make them better.

Legislative Champion; S.C. Alliance to Fix our Roads, 2017

Legislator of Year; National Alliance on Mental Health Illness, 2017

Legislator of Year; S.C. African American History Comm., 2017

Humane Legislator Award; S.C. Humane Society, 2017

For a generation, Higher Education in South Carolina has been de-prioritized by governors and legislative leaders. Beginning in 2017, Senator Sheheen brought together college presidents, students, legislative leaders, financial officers, and other state leaders to craft the Higher

Honorary Future Farmers of America Degree; FFA Assoc., 2015

In 2014, Senator Sheheen spent months and months touring the state and speaking to thousands of our citizens. Because of the growing divide he saw and experienced, Senator Sheheen made retiring of the Flag from the State House grounds a centerpiece of his campaign for Governor. Not long thereafter, Senator Sheheen’s seatmate in the Senate, Pastor Clementa Pinckney, was murdered in the Charleston massacre by a Confederate Flag wielding white supremacist. Although mourning the death of his friend, Senator Sheheen quickly renewed his call for removal of the Flag pushing other leaders in the state to do the same. Senator Sheheen was responsible for drafting and introducing the legislation that removed the Flag and spent weeks planning, cajoling, and creating the legislative plan that gained the necessary votes to remove the flag. The Confederate Flag was retired from the State House grounds on July 10, 2015.

Sheheen announced his intention for a second run for governor in 2014.

He ran lost to Haley again in 2014, as she won 55 percent of the vote to his 41 percent.

Career Tech. Award; S.C. Assoc. of School Administration Officials, 2013

Friend of Gifted Education Award; S.C. Consortium for Gifted Education, 2013

Policy Maker of the Year; S.C. Career and Tech. Ed. Assoc., 2013

Community Health Center Champion Award; S.C. Primary Health Care Assoc., 2012

12 State Legislators to Watch; Governing Magazine, 2012

Green Tie Award; Conservation Voters of S.C., 2011

Appreciation Award; National Wild Turkey Fed. S.C., 2011

Recipient, Political Courage Award; Kershaw County NAACP, 2011

S.C. Tobacco Use Prevention Award; S.C. Collaboration for Reducing Tobacco, 2010

Martin Luther King, Jr. Award; Kershaw County American Cancer Society, 2010

Sheheen announced his intention to run for Governor of South Carolina with the Democratic party on February 6, 2009. On June 8, 2010, Sheheen won the primary over State Superintendent Jim Rex, and was the party's nominee for governor in the November general election. He lost in the general election to the Republican party's nominee, State Representative Nikki Haley, by a margin 51% to 47%.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Award; Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 2009, 2012

Legislator of the Year; S.C. Recreation and Parks Assoc., 2008

Sportsman of the Year; Assoc. S.C. Field Trial Clubs, 2007

Legislator of the Year; S.C. Solicitors Assoc., 2007

Conservation Champion Award; Conservation Votes of S.C., 2006

Hammer and Trowel Award; Homebuilders of S.C., 2004

He was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2001 to 2004. He ran for Governor of South Carolina twice, in 2010 and 2014, losing both times to Nikki Haley.

U.S. District Court Resolution of Distinguished Service; U.S. District Court, 1998

Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award; U.S.C. School of Law, 1994

Thomas Arkle Clark Award; Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity,1992

Vincent Sheheen was born and raised in Camden, South Carolina. His father, Fred Sheheen, was the former executive director of the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. His mother is Italian. His uncle Robert Sheheen was the former Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives, becoming the first Lebanese speaker of the house in 1986. His great grandfather Abraham Sheheen immigrated to the U.S. from Lebanon, and his great-grandmother was also Lebanese.

Vincent Austin Sheheen (born April 29, 1971) is an American attorney and politician. He has been a member of the South Carolina Senate since 2004, representing the 27th District, which comprises Chesterfield, Kershaw, and Lancaster counties. He is a member of the Democratic Party.