Harvey Smith Peeler Jr. is an American politician born on September 8, 1948, in Gaffney, South Carolina. He has represented the 14th District in the South Carolina Senate since the 1980s. Interestingly, his political journey began as a Democrat, but in October 1989, he switched parties and became a Republican.
Throughout his tenure, Senator Peeler has held significant roles. He served as the Senate Majority Leader from 2005 to 2016 and later became the President of the Senate from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, after the passing of Hugh Leatherman, he took on the role of Chair of the Finance Committee in 2021.
Peeler’s commitment to fiscal conservatism is evident. As the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, he has worked diligently to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not wasted. His efforts have contributed to balancing the state’s budget through conservative measures.
Beyond politics, Senator Peeler is a father, grandfather, cattle farmer, small business owner, and a Christian conservative leader. He proudly represents the people of District 14, which includes Cherokee, Spartanburg, Union, and York Counties.
Fun fact: In 2015, during the Confederate flag controversy following the tragic shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, Senator Peeler voted against removing the Confederate flag, comparing it to “removing a tattoo from the corpse of a loved one and thinking that that would change the loved one’s obituary.”
