SHJ: Hawkins to leave Senate after ‘08
Senator John Hawkins has announced through the Spartanburg Herald Journal that he will not seek re-election in 2008. Read the article below.
Hawkins to leave Senate after ‘08
By ROBERT W. DALTON, bob.dalton@shj.comState Sen. John Hawkins, a two-term incumbent, said Wednesday he will not seek re-election in 2008.
Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, also spent four years in the House. He said he was stepping down to devote more time to his growing law practice.
“After 12 years of political life, it’s time to move on and put all my professional efforts into my law firm,” Hawkins said. “I have a lot of court appearances, depositions and meetings with clients. It was becoming difficult to do all that and serve in Columbia.”
Candidates already are lining up to fill the pending vacancy. State Rep. Scott Talley, R-Moore, said he will give up his House seat to take a shot at moving up, and Lee Bright, who lost to Hawkins by 37 votes in the 2004 Republican primary, will be back for another try.
Bright said he’s been looking forward to a second run at the seat ever since his narrow defeat.
“I’m running, and I’m running hard,” Bright said. “I feel like Spartanburg needs a new senator who will be independent of the good ol’ boy network.”
Talley, who is in his fourth term, said he has a record of service in the House, and he wants to build on it in the Senate.
“I’ve been a leader in the House on issues important to Spartanburg County and its citizens,” Talley said. “I think my eight years there have prepared me to move to the Senate, where ultimately some of those issues have been decided.”
Talley’s candidacy creates a vacancy in the House, and June Bond, one of Spartanburg County Republican Party Chairman Rick Beltram’s top lieutenants, was said to be eyeing that seat. Bond said Wednesday night that she was unaware the game of political musical chairs was under way.
“I haven’t given any thought to something that I would have no reason to think about,” she said.
Hawkins, 39, began his political career in 1997, when he was elected to the House. After two terms, he gave up the seat for his successful Senate run.
He had an unsuccessful bid for state attorney general in 2002 and then had the close call in his re-election campaign in 2004.
The Wofford College and University of South Carolina Law School graduate said he’s most proud of fighting to ban the video gambling industry.
“I was one of the first legislators in the state to come out against video poker,” Hawkins said. “It was an ill for our state, and I’m glad we took those people on.”
Beltram said Hawkins had been a “good servant.”
“I hate to see him retire,” Beltram said. “But anytime there’s a retirement it opens a slot, and I expect to have an active primary for the Senate seat - and for the House seat if Talley runs.”
Hawkins said he has one more year to look forward to, and some things he wants to get done. He said his top priority in the coming year would be to push “responsible regulations” on the payday lending industry.
After that, he’ll leave the fights to his successor, he said, and he’ll leave with no regrets.
“It just feels right, and I feel at peace,” Hawkins said. “I’ve come to realize that my ambition has become representing my clients and helping them get justice.”
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