George Campsen

George Campsen
South Carolina State Senate District 43
Incumbent
In office
2004-Present
Term ends
November 14, 2016
Years in position	9
Party	Republican
Compensation
Base salary	$10,400/year
Per diem	$131/day
Elections and appointments
Last election	November 6, 2012
First elected	2004
Next election	November 8, 2016
Term limits	N/A
Prior offices
South Carolina State House of Representatives
1996-2002
Education
Bachelor's	Furman University, 1981
Master's	University of South Carolina, 1989
J.D.	University of South Carolina, 1988
Personal
Birthday	March 30, 1959
Place of birth	Charleston, SC
Profession	Attorney
Religion	Baptist
Websites
Office website

George "Chip" Campsen (b. March 30, 1959) has been a Republican member of the South Carolina State Senate since 2004, representing the 43rd district.

Campsen served in the South Carolina State House from 1996 to 2002. He joined the South Carolina State Senate in 2004. He has served in that position since, representing the 43rd district.

Campsen was a Passenger Vessel Captain for Fort Sumter Tours, Inc. from 1978 to 1982. He then worked as a Real Estate Broker for Batten Hudson & Tarrant from 1983 to 1986. He was a Senior Policy Advisor for Governor Mark Sanfors from 2002 to 2003. Campsen has been Executive Vice President of Fort Sumter Tours, Inc. since 1985. He has also worked as an attorney for Campsen & Campsen since 1989.

Campsen earned his BS from Furman University in 1981. He went on to receive his JD and MS from the University of South Carolina in 1988 and 1989, respectively.

Committee assignments

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Campsen served on the following committees:

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Campsen served on the following committees:

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Campsen served on the following committees:

Issues

Balance of powers

Before the 2011 session began, three bills were filed in the South Carolina State Legislature that would restructure the amount of power the legislature has compared to the state executive and judicial branches. The lawmakers who submitted the bills hold that the scales of authority and oversight have been weighted against the executive and judicial branches in favor of the Legislature for decades, both constitutionally and statutorily.

For example, the state Budget and Control Board is both an agency and a board and it is a discordant hybrid of the executive and legislative branches that is unique to South Carolina.

The board consists of three constitutional officers elected statewide, including the governor as chairman, and two of the most powerful legislators – the chairmen of the budget-writing Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees.

In another example, the power to appoint hundreds of members to executive boards and commissions rests with the General Assembly.

“We need to give the governor the power to be governor,” says Sen. Chip Campsen.

Campsen is the chief sponsor of one of the three restructuring bills, S. 134.

“The small little cabal of senior legislators and those they influence, they don’t want to give up any power,” says Sen. Mike Rose, who is co-sponsoring Campsen’s bill.

Bringing bipartisanship to the reform table, Sen. Vincent Sheheen, a Democrat, is sponsoring one of the other two bills, S. 261. Campsen and Rose both have signed onto the Sheheen measure.

Elections

2012

See also: South Carolina State Senate elections, 2012

Campsen ran unopposed in the Republican primary on June 12 and in the general election on November 6, 2012.

South Carolina State Senate, District 43, General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Robert Ford Incumbent	98.3%	35,618
	Other	Write-Ins	1.7%	609
Total Votes				36,227

2008

On November 4, 2008, Campsen won re-election for District 43 of the South Carolina State Senate with 25,725 votes, ahead of write-ins (332).

He raised $145,621 for his campaign.

South Carolina State Senate, District 43
Candidates		Votes
George Campsen (R)		25,725
Write-ins		332

Campaign donors

2012

Campaign donor information is not yet available for this year.

2008

Campsen raised $145,621 in the 2008 election cycle.

Seventy-five donors gave $1,000 each, the largest contribution amount his campaign received.

Personal

Campsen and his wife Lalla Lee have two children.

External links

Suggest a link

• Profile from the South Carolina Legislature
• Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
• Biography from Project Vote Smart
• Campaign Contributions: 2008, 2006, 2004, 2000, 1998, 1996

References

Political offices
Preceded by John Kuhn	South Carolina State Senate - District 43 2004–present	Succeeded by NA