Alan Wilson
From Ballotpedia
| Michael Alan Wilson | ||
 | ||
| Attorney General of South Carolina | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| January 12, 2011 - Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| 2014 | ||
| Years in position | 1 | |
| Party | Republican | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $92,007 | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| First elected | November 2, 2010 | |
| Next election | 2014 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Education | ||
| High school | Grace Christian School | |
| Bachelor's | Francis Marion University (1996) | |
| J.D. | University of South Carolina School of Law (2002) | |
| Military service | ||
| Service/branch | South Carolina National Guard | |
| Years of service | 1997 - Present | |
| Citations | Combat Action Badge | |
| Personal | ||
| Profession | Attorney | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
Contents |
Biography
Right after receiving his bachelor's degree from Francis Marion University, Wilson joined the South Carolina National Guard as a platoon leader. He was deployed to Iraq, where he earned a Combat Action Badge for leading troops through enemy fire.[1] Wilson was later promoted to the rank of Major, and he continues today to serve as a Judge Advocate General whose role is to provide legal support for soldiers and prosecutes military crimes.[1] In October 2003, he was appointed as an assistant to the 11th Circuit Solicitor's Office, remaining there for four years. From January 2007 until March 2009, he served as an assistant in the South Carolina Attorney General's Office. Wilson then worked as an attorney for the Columbia-based private practice law firm of Willoughby & Hoefer, PA.
Education
- Graduated from Grace Christian School
- Bachelor's degree, Francis Marion University in political science
- Juris Doctorate degree, University of South Carolina
Political career
Attorney General of South Carolina (2010-present)
Wilson was elected South Carolina’s 51st attorney general on November 2, 2010. When he took office on January 12, 2011, he became the nation’s youngest attorney general. Before leading the office, Wilson had worked within it as a prosecution division intern and as an assistant attorney general under predecessors Charlie Condon and Henry McMaster.[1]
Issues
Voter ID law
In 2011, the Republican attorney general oversaw the passage of voter-ID legislation which sought to impede voter-impersonation at the polls by requiring all South Carolina voters to show photo identification before casting their ballots. The U.S. Department of Justice rejected the law on the grounds that it could effectively disenfranchise tens of thousands of the state's minority voters who do not possess adequate photo-ID. The law was correspondingly deemed to be in violation of a 1965 Voting Rights Act provision requiring states with histories of discrimination to obtain the agency's approval before enacting any relevant legislation.[2] After the law was rejected, Wilson continued his mission to fight fraudulent forces threatening the integrity of South Carolina's elections. "What the Justice Department did was deny South Carolina voters the protection of law," he said in April 2012 at a fundraising event that showcased the work of guerrilla filmmakers who stage and capture instances of people successfully voting under the names of different or dead residents at the polls to shed light on the vulnerabilities of the current process.[2]
Presidential preference
Wilson endorsed former Republican Presidential primary candidate John Huntsman in 2012. Huntsman withdrew his bid before the primary election took place.
2012
Alan Wilson has endorsed Jon Huntsman in the 2012 presidential election. [3]
Elections
2010
| 2010 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary [4] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party |  a Michael Alan Wilson
| 39.0% [5] | |
| Republican Party | William Leighton Lord, III | 37.1% | |
| Republican Party | Robert Bolchoz | 23.9% | |
| Total Votes | 385,312 | ||
| 2010 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary Run-off [6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party | a Michael Alan Wilson
| 59.8% | |
| Republican Party | William Leighton Lord, III | 40.2% | |
| Total Votes | 343,874 | ||
| 2010 Race for Attorney General - General Election [7] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party | a Michael Alan Wilson
| 53.7% | |
| Democratic Party | Matthew Richardson | 44.2% | |
| Green Party | Leslie Minerd | 2.0% | |
| Total Votes | 1,332,806 | ||
Campaign contributions
Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. The following table offers a breakdown of Alan Wilson's donors each year.[8] Click [show] for more information.
| Alan Wilson's Campaign Contributions | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Attorney General of South Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised | $1,057,287 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total Raised by General Election Opponent | $1,708,354 (Dem) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Top 5 contributors | South Carolina Republican Party | $50,000 | |||||||||||||||||
| Alan Wilson | $45,733 | ||||||||||||||||||
| $Augusta Fiberglass Coatings Inc | $10,500 | ||||||||||||||||||
| John Simmons | $10,500 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Betty Willoughby | $10,500 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Individuals | $517,498 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Institutions | $424,299 | ||||||||||||||||||
| In-state donations | $896,076 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Out-of-state donations | $161,211 | ||||||||||||||||||
Personal
Wilson currently resides in West Columbia, South Carolina with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children - Michael and Anna Grace.
Contact Information
Mailing Address:
The Honorable Michael Alan Wilson
Post Office Box 11549
Columbia, SC 29211
Street Address:
Rembert Dennis Building
1000 Assembly Street, Room 519
Columbia, S.C. 29201
Phone: (803) 734-3970
Fax: (803) 734-4323
E-mail: info@scattorneygeneral.com
See also
- Attorney General of South Carolina
- Governor of South Carolina
- Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
- South Carolina Secretary of State
- Attorney General
External links
- Official South Carolina Attorney General website
- Alan Wilson for Attorney General Campaign website
- Alan Wilson's Facebook profile
- Alan Wilson's Twitter account
- Project Vote Smart - Alan Wilson biography
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 South Carolina Attorney General, "Full Biography-Alan Wilson," accessed April 18, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Aiken Standard, "S.C. attorney general talking voter ID with James O'Keefe," April 18, 2012
- ↑ The Daily Caller "Jon Huntsman scores key endorsement in South Carolina," June 30, 2011
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission - 2010 Republican and Democratic Primary Election Results
- ↑ Even though Michael Alan Wilson received the most votes, he failed to receive over fifty percent of those votes required by South Carolina state law. A run-off election between the top two vote recipients, therefore, was required to decide who went on to the general election.
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission - 2010 Republican and Democratic Primary Run-off Election Results
- ↑ South Carolina State Ethics Commission - 2010 General Election Results
- ↑ Follow the Money.org
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henry McMaster | South Carolina Attorney General 2010–present | Succeeded by NA |
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