Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives

The speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the South Carolina House of Representatives, whose main role is to ensure that general order is maintained in the house by recognizing members to speak, ensuring members are following established rules, and to call for votes. The speaker is third in the line of succession behind the lieutenant governor and the president of the senate. The current speaker is Murrell Smith, Jr., a Republican who has held the position since May 12, 2022.

History

James Parsons was the first speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives, elected in 1776 after the adoption of South Carolina's first constitution. Since 1776, there have been sixty-one speakers of the house. Four speakers have served non-consecutive terms, but unlike the office of governor where each office holder is counted once regardless of terms served, speakers are counted separately for each time in office. Therefore, for example, Solomon Blatt Sr. was the 50th and the 53rd speaker.

Election

The speaker is elected by a simple majority vote to a two-year term following the most recent general election and may not serve more than five consecutive terms. Incumbent Speaker Murrell Smith was elected intra-term in 2022 following the resignation of Jay Lucas. Since 1776, there have been 34 Democrats, 9 Democratic-Republicans, 8 Republicans, 8 Independents, and 2 Nullifiers. The speaker pro tempore presides in the speaker's absence.

Roles and responsibilities The speaker of the house "preserve[s] order and decorum" in the chamber and oversees the proceeding of the House of Representatives by recognizing members to speak, calling for votes, and maintaining general order. The speaker also serves an member of the Committee on Operations and Managementof the House of Representatives. Additionally, the speaker of the house has the ability to do the following:

Call for a special election after an inter-term vacancy in the senate Appoint members all committees, but must ensure that both the majority and minority parties are represented Adjourn the house without a vote in cases of emergency If a quorum is not present, the speaker may order absent members to be taken into custody and brought into the house chamber.

Succession to governorship The speaker of the house is third in the gubernatorial line of succession. If the governor, lieutenant governor, and President of the South Carolina Senate are unable to serve as governor, the speaker of the house becomes governor. Since the role of lieutenant governor was separated from president of the senate, no president has succeeded to the office of governor.

List of speakers

+ List of speakers of the South Carolina House of Representatives#SpeakerPartyTerm of office Notes1James ParsonsNone–October 17762John MatthewsNone–Spring of 17773Thomas BeeNoneSummer of 1777–November 17784John MatthewsNone–December 17792nd Time5Thomas FarrNone–17826Hugh RutledgeNone–17857John Faucheraud GrimkéNone–17878John Julius Pringle Federalist–17899Jacob Read Federalist–179510Robert Barnwell Federalist–179811William Johnson Democratic-Republican–180012Theodore Gaillard Democratic-Republican–180213Robert Stork Democratic-Republican–180414William Cotesworth Pinckney Democratic-Republican–180515Joseph Alston Democratic-Republican–181016John Geddes Democratic-Republican–181417Thomas Bennett Jr. Democratic-Republican–181818Patrick Noble Democratic-Republican–182419John Belton O'Neall Democratic-Republican–182820Benjamin Fanuel Dunkin Nullifier (Democratic)–183021Henry L. Pinckney Nullifier (Democratic)–183322Patrick Noble Democratic–18362nd time Changed parties23David Lewis Wardlaw Democratic–184224William F. Colcock Democratic–184825John Izard Middleton Democratic–185026James Simons Sr. Democratic–186227Alfred P. Aldrich Democratic–186428R. B. Boyleston Democratic–1865Deposed by Union Army29Charles Henry SimontonNone–186830Franklin J. Moses Jr. Republican–187231Samuel Jones Lee Republican–187432R. B. Elliot Republican–187633William Henry Wallace Democratic–187634John Calhoun Sheppard Democratic–188235James Simons Jr. Democratic–189036John L. M. Irby Democratic–189137Ira B. Jones Democratic–189638Frank B. Gary Democratic–190139William Francis Stevenson Democratic–190340Mendel L. Smith Democratic–190741Richard S. Whaley Democratic–191142Mendel L. Smith Democratic–19152nd Time43James Hoyt Democratic–191844Thomas P. Cothran Democratic–192145John Buford Atkinson Democratic–192346Thomas S. McMillan Democratic–192547Edgar Allan Brown Democratic–192648John K. Hamblin Democratic–193349James B. Gibson Democratic–1934Died50Claude A. Taylor Democratic–193651Solomon Blatt Sr. Democratic–193652C. Bruce Littlejohn Democratic–194953Thomas H. Pope Democratic–195054Solomon Blatt Sr. Democratic–August 1, 19732nd Time55Rex L. Carter Democratic–August 1, 198056Ramon Schwartz Jr. Democratic–October 1, 198657Robert Sheheen Democratic–October 1, 199458David Wilkins Republican–June 21, 200559Bobby Harrell Republican–October 23, 201460Jay Lucas Republican–May 12, 202261Murrell Smith Jr. Republican–Incumbent

See also List of South Carolina state legislatures

References