Thaddeus Stevens

**Thaddeus Earl Stevens** (born August 19, 1947) is an American politician who currently serves as the 112th Governor of South Carolina. He is a central fixture in South Carolinian politics, having served in every major statewide office at least once, as a Democrat and as a Republican. He was also the 35th Mayor of the State's capital, Columbia.

## Early Life and Education

Stevens was born in 1947 to his father, Governor, William Stevens, and his housewife. Thaddeus grew up with private tutors in a very well-to-do environment as his dad wrangled through the politics of the state.

Thaddeus went to law school, as was expected, at the South Carolina School of Law, and was a bright student, graduating in 1972. During this time, as his father father had essentially appointed him to the State House during those years, he gained experience as a legislator and became part of the Democratic machine that controlled the state.

## 1970's

After graduating, he was basically granted the position of Attorney General which he held for several years. He worked his way through the system, touching on the same contacts as his father to eventually reach Lt. Governor in the election of 1978.

## 1980's

As the 1980s came through with the moral majority he began to have doubts about his choice of party. He spoke to his father about the issue and was beaten down for it and warned not to pull any kind of stunt like that. His support was cut back to prove a point and he decided not to run for re-election in 1982.

He went back to his lawfirm, which grew easily and the greased skids helped but less so increasingly until he made a bold decision in 1986. The Christian was more and more becoming a member of the Republican Party now in the age of Reagan and the moral majority, and he decided that it was time to hop the fence. His father was absolutely furious, but Stevens ran a tight campaign in 1986 and was elected Governor and reelected in 1990.

## 1990's

Stevens made waves on the national stage in 1992 when he refused to endorse and even fought against Shrub the elder becoming President because of his "treason" on taxes and when his term was up in 1994 he ran for Senate. There he proved to be a mostly moderate Republican, supporting many of Shrub;s successors policies such as the RFRA and DOMA along with the crime policies.

## 2000's

He chose not to run for re-election in 2000 and returned back to South Carolina, where he half retired into a job as Mayor of Columbia. He focused most of his time on anti-crime efforts and gentrifying and beautifying the city, with museums, art galleries and education improvements, but not much on the economy. He announced that he was retiring at the age of 60 after his second term. He ended up not having the chance to sit back on his porch with his wife and seven children as the economy crashed, and the state Republican party begged Stevens to run on the ticket to try to avert total disaster. With his typical charisma and favorability he managed to pull through a victory.

## 2010's

Stevens was reelected to another term in 2014. As Governor, he has proven to be a good administrator and less an ideologue, working on infrastructure improvements and building combined with several regulation efforts combined with decreases in personal taxes to mostly good effect. Thaddeus fought the federal courts as they tried to overcome his DOMA and ultimately failed, but he has passed through two bills afterwards, one an adoption law and the other providing benefits to couples with biological children as a parting blow. Several harsher drug laws have been passed as well, along with some more liberal and conservative blend police reform, boosting numbers and strength and creating special SWAT and anti-drug teams, but increasing community involvement, and putting in mandatory body cameras all across the state.