Thomas C. Davis, born on May 31, 1960, is a Republican member of the South Carolina Senate since January 14, 2009. His district (the 46th) includes part of Beaufort County. Davis graduated magna cum laude in 1982 from Furman University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He continued his education at the University of Maryland School of Law, graduating in 1985 with the highest honors as a member of the Order of the Coif.
Professionally, Davis is an attorney and has been associated with the Harvey & Battey law firm in Beaufort, South Carolina, since 1985. He currently serves as the managing partner of its Real Estate Department.
Davis has a rich history of involvement in local and state government. He served as Chief of Staff to Governor Mark Sanford and played a key role in passing South Carolina’s charter school reform bill. Additionally, he successfully led negotiations to build a deep water port with Georgia on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River in Jasper County.
In the Senate, Davis is assigned to several committees, including Agriculture and Natural Resources, Banking and Insurance, Education, Judiciary, and Rules.
Despite rumors of a gubernatorial bid in 2018, Davis chose to remain in the state Senate. He endorsed John Warren in the Republican primary, emphasizing Warren’s business and military experience.
In national politics, Davis endorsed U.S. Rep. Ron Paul for the Republican nomination for U.S. president in 2012 and was elected as a South Carolina Republican delegate to the 2012 Republican National Convention. Most recently, he endorsed Nikki Haley ahead of the 2024 Republican primary.
