Eric Bikas
Eric Bikas (b. August 13, 1986) is a former Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 26 from 2010-2012.
Bikas won election to represent District 26 in the November 2, 2010, state legislative elections.
Committee assignments
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Bikas served on the following committees:
- Subcommittee on Higher Education
- Subcommittee on Motor Vehicles and Public Works
Issues
Presidential preference
2012
Eric Bikas endorsed Newt Gingrich in the 2012 presidential election.[1]
Elections
2012
Bikas did not seek re-election in 2012.[2]
2010
Bikas won election to the South Carolina House of Representatives, defeating Judy Gilstrap (D) in the November 2 general election[3].
| South Carolina House of Representatives, District 26 (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
 Eric Bikas (R)
|
5,212 | 65.97% | ||
| Judy Gilstrap (D) | 2,676 | 33.87% | ||
| Write-In | 13 | 0.16% | ||
Campaign finance summary
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Scorecards
The Palmetto Liberty PAC Scorecard
The Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, a conservative, pro-limited government think tank in South Carolina, releases its scorecard for South Carolina representatives and senators once a year. The scorecard gives each legislator a score based on how he or she voted in the two-year legislative term prior to the election on specific issues that the Palametto Liberty PAC thinks are anti-limited government. "Most of the votes shown on the score card are votes that we lost. Now we can identify the Legislators that caused us to lose these votes. These Legislators are the ones who need to be replaced if we are to achieve the vision of having the most free state in the nation."[4]
2012
Eric Bikas received a score of 7% in the 2012 scorecard, ranking 108th out of all 124 South Carolina House of Representatives members.[5] His score was followed by representatives Curtis Brantley (7%), Grady Brown (7%), and Robert L. Brown (7%).[6]
Noteworthy events
Two month absence
On March 28, 2012, it was reported that Bikas had not been to the Statehouse for two months because his district was eliminated during redistricting and that he no longer felt he represented anyone.[7] Bikas said, "In January I was asked to leave because when the redistricting occurred, I ended up without a district." He said the request to leave came from the sergeant-at-arms at the request of Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell (R).[8]
State House Spokesman Greg Foster said Bikas was asked to leave due to dress code violations when he showed up wearing khakis, tennis shoes and a golf shirt, rather than a jacket and tie. Bikas responded that if it was over a minor issue such as that, Harrell would have talked to him personally on an informal level. Bikas said he believes the real reason he was asked was due to his vocal criticism of a spending bill he was supposed to win votes for and his opinion on the method of choosing a chair for the House Ways and Means committee. Soon after, Bikas said, he lost all of his committee assignments.
Foster said Harrell's attempts to contact Bikas have been unsuccessful, while Bikas said he was trying to make sense of what's going on and will return to work. "For the past six weeks, I've been trying to figure out if I am a legislator or not. I've been writing down dates that things happened and put it into perspective," he said.[2]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Bikas is single.
Eric Bikas now owns two restaurants in upstate South Carolina, named after him.
External links
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2010
Footnotes
- ↑ Newt Gingrich 2012, "South Carolina Legislative Endorsements For Newt Gingrich," January 20, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Easley Patch, "State Rep: 'I Was Asked to Leave' SC Legislature," March 28, 2012
- ↑ South Carolina general election results
- ↑ The Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, "Voting Records," accessed April 11, 2014
- ↑ Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee, "South Carolina Senate Score Card 2012," accessed April 11, 2014
- ↑ Palmetto Liberty Political Action Committee: South Carolina House Score Card 2012, "House Score 2012 ranked draft," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ WSPA, "Upstate Lawmaker Hasn't Been To Work In 2 Months," March 28, 2012
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Eric Bikas, South Carolina Lawmaker, Says Two-Month Absence Due To Losing District," March 29, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Rex Rice (R) |
South Carolina House of Representatives District 26 2010–2012 |
Succeeded by R. Raye Felder (R) |
