Tom Ervin (South Carolina)
Tom Ervin was a member of the South Carolina Public Service Commissioner. Ervin assumed office in 2018. Ervin left office on March 31, 2024.
Ervin was elected to the South Carolina Public Service Commission in 2018.[1][2]
Ervin is a former Democratic member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 7 from 1980 to 1984. He also served as a circuit court judge for the 10th judicial circuit from 1985 to 1998.[3][2][4]
He switched his party membership from Democratic to Republican in 2005.[3]
Ervin was an Independent candidate for Governor of South Carolina in the 2014 elections.[5][6] He withdrew from the race on October 28, 2014, and endorsed Democratic candidate Vincent Sheheen.[7] Ervin's name still appeared on the general election ballot and he was defeated by incumbent Nikki Haley (R).
Education
Political career
Public Service Commissioners (2018-2024)
Ervin was elected to the commission in 2018. His first term expired on June 30, 2022.[1]
South Carolina House of Representatives (1980-1984)
Ervin was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives as a Democratic member serving District 7 in 1979. He served from 1980 to 1984.[3]
Elections
2014
Ervin ran for election to the office of Governor of South Carolina. Ervin was seeking the Republican nomination but dropped out before the primary and filed to run as an independent.[6] He also withdrew from the general election after filing as an independent candidate.[7]
Results
| Governor of South Carolina, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Nikki Haley Incumbent |
55.9% | 696,645 | |
| Democratic | Vincent Sheheen | 41.4% | 516,166 | |
| Libertarian | Steve French | 1.2% | 15,438 | |
| Independent | Tom Ervin | 0.9% | 11,496 | |
| United Citizens | Morgan Reeves | 0.5% | 5,622 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 934 | |
| Total Votes | 1,246,301 | |||
| Election results via South Carolina State Election Commission | ||||
Debates
October 14 debate
Charleston State University hosted a debate featuring all five candidates for governor. Nikki Haley (R) and Vincent Sheheen (D) criticized each other on the issue of ethics. Sheheen criticized Haley for past accusations of illegal lobbying during her time as a state legislator. Haley responded that she was cleared of charges twice by the state House in 2012 and that Sheheen voted against a proposed ethics reform law twice over the past two years. Sheheen said that the Republican-supported reform would not go far enough to deal with lobbying concerns.[8]
The three third-party candidates discussed their stances on marijuana legalization and job creation. Independent candidate Tom Ervin argued against the legalization of marijuana, suggesting that medical evidence showed lowered intelligence from habitual use. United Citizens Party candidate Morgan Reeves countered Ervin's points by stating that marijuana could produce tax revenue for the state. Libertarian Party candidate Steve French opposed increasing the state's minimum wage. On the issue of jobs, Haley pointed to a previous announcement that 57,000 jobs would be created throughout the state; Sheheen alleged that only half of those jobs have been created in her first term.[8]
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Statehouse Report, "6/29, all: Teachers get raise; Campaign issues; Offshore drilling," June 29, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Nerve, "S.C. lawmakers ensure PSC incumbent retains seat – for now," May 11, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The State, "Upstate attorney to oppose Nikki Haley in GOP primary," March 29, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 SCStatehouse.gov, "Ervin exhibit," accessed July 2, 2018
- ↑ South Carolina Election Commission, "Candidate Tracking," March 31, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Island Packet, "Tom Ervin jumps out of GOP governor’s race," April 11, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Daily Journal, "Independent candidate Tom Ervin ends campaign, endorses Vincent Sheheen in SC governor's race," October 28, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The State, "2014 Elections: Gloves off for Haley, Sheheen in SC governor’s debate," October 14, 2014
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Lib Fleming |
South Carolina Public Service Commissioner 2018-2024 |
Succeeded by David Britt |
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State of South Carolina Columbia (capital) |
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