In 2014, Senator Sheheen spent months and months touring the state and speaking to thousands of our citizens. Because of the growing divide he saw and experienced, Senator Sheheen made retiring of the Flag from the State House grounds a centerpiece of his campaign for Governor. Not long thereafter, Senator Sheheen’s seatmate in the Senate, Pastor Clementa Pinckney, was murdered in the Charleston massacre by a Confederate Flag wielding white supremacist. Although mourning the death of his friend, Senator Sheheen quickly renewed his call for removal of the Flag pushing other leaders in the state to do the same. Senator Sheheen was responsible for drafting and introducing the legislation that removed the Flag and spent weeks planning, cajoling, and creating the legislative plan that gained the necessary votes to remove the flag. The Confederate Flag was retired from the State House grounds on July 10, 2015.