Dwight Loftis
Dwight Loftis | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 6th district | |
| Assumed office March 27, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | William Timmons[1] |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 19th district | |
| In office January 24, 1996 – March 27, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Fair[2] |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Haddon[3] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 4, 1943 Greenville County, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sandra Elaine Jones (m: December 8, 1963) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Stella M. Loftis, Stephen A. Loftis |
| Education | North Greenville University (AA, 1966) |
| Profession | Insurance agent, politician |
Dwight A. Loftis (born February 4, 1943) is an
Political Career
S.C. House of Representatives
S.C. Senate
Elections
2019 Special election
After William Timmons succeeded Trey Gowdy in representing South Carolina's 4th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, the seat for the 6th District became open. Loftis became the Republican nominee for South Carolina Senate District 6 on January 22, 2019, by beating opponents Amy Ryberg Doyle and Jeffery Stringer.[6] He won his state senate district 6 election with 56 percent of the votes against Democrat Tina Belge who received 44 percent of the votes in her first run for elected office.[1][7]
2020 General election
Now an incumbent, Loftis ran unopposed in the Republican primary for his seat. He went on to defeat Democratic challenger Hao Wu.[8]
2024 General election
In 2023, Loftis announced he would retire and not seek reelection.[9][10]
Tenure
As Senator of South Carolina's 6th District, Loftis represented a large portion of Greenville County. Following redistricting after the 2020 US Census, S.C. Senate District 6 covers a cross section of it:
Political Views
Loftis opposes to gay marriage and strongly supports marriage as defined between a man and woman.[11] He voted to keep the Confederate Flag flying above the South Carolina Statehouse.[12] He is a strong supporter of "law and order," the second amendment, and South Carolina's "heartbeat bill," restricting abortion after six-weeks.[8]
Personal Life
Loftis resides in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife Sandra. They have three children. Loftis first obtained an Associate degree from North Greenville University (then, North Greenville College) in 1966. He was an insurance agent, but has since retired.[4]
Loftis has been an active member of the Greenville community, particularly on issues of crime and education. He is a board member and past president of the Crime Stoppers of Greenville, and has held positions such as:
- Past chairman of the North West Business Education Partnership School District of Greenville
- Past member of the Leadership Council School District in Greenville County
- Former Greenville County School Trustee
References
- ^ a b "SC State Senate 06 – Special Election". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ "SC State House 019 – Special Election". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ "SC State House 019". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ a b "South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Dwight Loftis". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
- ^ Brown, Kirk (January 22, 2019). "Loftis wins SC Senate District 6 Republican primary, according to unofficial vote total". Greenville News. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ "Loftis wins South Carolina state Senate primary". AP News. 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ a b Davis, Angelia L. "2020 general election: Here's who is running for South Carolina Senate District 6". The Greenville News. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Kenmore, Abraham; Adcox, Seanna (2024-04-02). "SC's GOP 'sister senators' among legislators facing primary opposition • SC Daily Gazette". SC Daily Gazette. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Staff, FOX Carolina News (2023-12-30). "Greenville County councilman announces bid for Senate seat". FOX Carolina. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Issues". Dwight Loftis for Senate. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- ^ Bowers, Paul (July 9, 2015). "Here are the 20 lawmakers who voted against removing the Confederate flag". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
External links
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