Jim DeMint

James Warren "Jim" DeMint (born September 2 1951) has been a U.S. Senator from South Carolina since 2005. He had previously represented the state's 4th Congressional District from 1999 to 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Related Topics:
September 2 - 1951 - U.S. Senator - South Carolina - Republican Party

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DeMint was born in Greenville, South Carolina and educated at Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, the University of Tennessee and Clemson University. He owned a market research firm in Greenville.

Related Topics:
Greenville, South Carolina - Wade Hampton - University of Tennessee - Clemson University

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When Fourth District Congressman Bob Inglis decided to honor a promise to serve only three congressional terms and run against Senator Fritz Hollings, DeMint won the Republican primary for the district, which includes Greenville and Spartanburg, and easily won election in November. The district is considered the most Republican in the state, and he never faced serious or well-funded opposition.

Related Topics:
Bob Inglis - Fritz Hollings

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DeMint declared his candidacy for the Senate on December 12, 2002 after Hollings decided to retire after the 2004 elections. He was supposedly the White House's preferred candidate in the Republican primary. He placed a distant second in that primary on June 8, 2004, 18 points behind former governor David Beasley. However, he won a convincing victory in the runoff, and faced Democratic state education superintendent Inez Tenenbaum in November.

Related Topics:
December 12 - 2002 - White House - June 8 - 2004 - Governor - David Beasley - Democratic - Inez Tenenbaum

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DeMint's candidacy has drawn public attention because of positions he has taken.

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DeMint favors eliminating the IRS and Federal income tax. Additionally, he has sponsored legislation in the House of Representatives that would replace the current system with a 23% national sales tax on all goods and services. He claimed he had signed onto the legislation "to advance the debate" on tax reform, and that he did not specifically favor that version of reform over others.

Related Topics:
IRS - Income tax - House of Representatives - Sales tax

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DeMint also stirred controversy during debates with Tenenbaum when he stated his belief that openly gay people should not be allowed to teach in public schools. When questioned by reporters, DeMint also stated that single mothers who live with their boyfriends should similarly be excluded from being educators. He later apologized for making the remarks without specifically retracting their substantive claims, saying they were "distracting from the main issues of the debate." He also noted that these were opinions based on his personal values, not issues he would or could deal with as a member of Congress. He also favored banning all forms of abortion.

Related Topics:
Single mother - Abortion

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Tenenbaum led in many polls for much of the year, but DeMint defeated her by 9.6 percentage points in November.

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DeMint is a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Special Committee on Aging, and the Joint Economic Committee. DeMint is currently the Deputy Majority Whip.

Related Topics:
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation - Committee on Environment and Public Works - Special Committee on Aging - Joint Economic Committee

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