Rudolph Andreas "André" Bauer (born March 20, 1969) is an American businessman and politician who was the 87th
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
of
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
from 2003 to 2011. He is a member of the
Republican Party. Bauer was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives (1996–1999) and a member of the South Carolina State Senate (1999–2003). In 2016, he became a
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
political analyst, supporting the presidential campaign of
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
. CNN dismissed Bauer in February 2019.
Early life, education, and business career
Bauer was born in
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
, on March 20, 1969. He is the son of William R. Bauer and Saundrea Jill Bauer. He graduated from
Irmo High School
Irmo High School is a public high school in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Irmo High School falls under the administrative jurisdiction of District 5 of Lexington and Richland Counties. It is an International Baccalaureate school.
At ...
and received a bachelor of science in business administration from the
University of South Carolina in 1991.
Bauer was self-employed, selling sports merchandise to national franchise stores. Bauer is also a lieutenant colonel in the
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
's South Carolina Wing.
Bauer has also been a
Junior Achievement
JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide is a global non-profit youth organization founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail, and Winthrop M. Crane. JA works with local businesses, schools, and organizations to deliver experiential learning ...
teacher and is a current member of the following boards: the Lake Murray Tourism and Recreation Association, the
American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a United States-based nonprofit that seeks to educate the public about diabetes and to help those affected by it through funding research to manage, cure and prevent diabetes (including type 1 diabetes, ...
, the Columbia Visitors' Bureau, the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce, and the
Sons of the American Revolution
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR or NSSAR) is an American Congressional charter, congressionally chartered organization, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky. A non-prof ...
.
In 2001, Bauer was recognized as Alumnus of the Year for the University of South Carolina College of Applied Professional Science. Bauer is a member of Union
United Methodist
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...
Church.
South Carolina General Assembly
Elections
Bauer served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1997 to 2001. In 1999, Bauer was elected to the
South Carolina State Senate
The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the sam ...
in a special election. He was then re-elected in the 2000 general election and served in the State Senate until his inauguration as Lieutenant Governor on January 15, 2003.
Committee assignments
He served on the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.
Lieutenant Governor
Elections
;2002
He came in second in the Republican primary to fellow State Senator
David L. Thomas of
Greenville, but defeated Thomas in the runoff for the nomination. He then defeated fellow State Senator
Phil P. Leventis, a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
from
Sumter Sumter may refer to:
People Given name
* Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist
* Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general
Surname
* Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer
* Shavonda E. Sumter ( ...
, in the 2002 general election for Lt. Governor, with more than 52 percent of the vote.
;2006
Bauer faced two primary challenges for re-election, and a general election in 2006. The first challenge was launched by Mike Campbell, son of former Governor
Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. (R). Bauer also faced Dr. Henry Jordan, founder of the South Carolina branch of the
Christian Coalition. During the primaries, Bauer portrayed himself as the underdog in this three-way race, despite being an incumbent. His opponents outspent him 3 to 1 in the campaigns. In the course of the campaign, Campbell received the endorsements of former President
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
, a friend of his father, and First Lady
Jenny Sanford
Jennifer Sullivan Sanford (born September 11, 1962) is the former First Lady of South Carolina and a former investment banker.
She was married to Governor Mark Sanford.
Early life and education
Sanford was born and raised in Winnetka, Illinoi ...
, the wife of Governor
Mark Sanford
Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. (born May 28, 1960) is an American politician and author who served as the U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district from 1995 to 2001 and again from 2013 to 2019, and also as the ...
.
The primary of June 13, 2006, ended with Mike Campbell receiving 47 percent of the vote, Andre Bauer 37%, and Henry Jordan 18%. As Campbell did not win a majority, he faced Bauer in a runoff election on June 27 for the Republican nomination. Bauer won the runoff with slightly over 51 percent of vote. He then narrowly defeated Democrat
Robert A. Barber, Jr., a former state representative, attorney and lobbyist in the General Election. Bauer received 543,414 votes (50.08%), while Barber received 540,306 votes (49.79%).
Tenure
In 2008, Bauer supported legislation, enacted by the
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and t ...
, that created a new state license plate containing the words "I Believe" and a
Christian cross superimposed on a
stained glass window
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
. The legislation was challenged in the case ''
Summers v. Adams'', in which the
U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina (in case citations, D.S.C.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of South Carolina. Court is held in the cities of Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Charlest ...
struck down the law. In November 2009, Judge
Cameron McGowan Currie
Cameron McGowan Currie (born October 3, 1948) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.
Education and career
Born in Florence, South Carolina, Currie received a Bachelor of ...
ruled on
summary judgment
In law, a summary judgment (also judgment as a matter of law or summary disposition) is a judgment entered by a court
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes ...
that the "I Believe" Act violated the
federal Constitution, and permanently enjoined the state from issuing the plates "I Believe" state license plates.
Judge Currie also noted:
The "I Believe" Act had its genesis in Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer’s desire to do here what had been unsuccessful in the state of Florida–to gain legislative approval of a specialty plate promoting the majority religion: Christianity. Whether motivated by sincerely held Christian beliefs or an effort to purchase political capital
Political capital is the term used for an individual's ability to influence political decisions. This capital is built from what the opposition thinks of the politician, so radical politicians will lose capital. Political capital can be understoo ...
with religious coin, the result is the same. The statute is clearly unconstitutional and defense of its implementation has embroiled the state in unnecessary (and expensive) litigation.
;Sanford sex scandal
In the summer of 2009, Governor
Mark Sanford
Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. (born May 28, 1960) is an American politician and author who served as the U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district from 1995 to 2001 and again from 2013 to 2019, and also as the ...
disappeared for several days, leading to the exposure of an adulterous affair and allegations that he had committed numerous misdemeanors. This led to an investigation by the state commission on ethics and a threat of impeachment by the legislature. Had Sanford been impeached, Bauer would have become acting governor during the trial. However, in December 2009, legislative moves to impeach Sanford collapsed as the House Judiciary Committee voted instead merely to censure him.
;Controversial comments on the poor
In January 2010, Bauer came under fire for comparing public school children who receive
free lunches to stray animals who should not be fed. "My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals," Bauer said during a town hall meeting. "You know why? Because they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't... think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better." Bauer made the comment as part of an argument that people should lose government benefits if they fail
drug test
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen, for example urine, hair, blood, breath, sweat, or oral fluid/saliva—to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites. Major applications of drug ...
s or don't attend
parent-teacher conferences or
Parent-Teacher Association meetings. The
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
reported that Bauer was a child of divorce who benefited from free lunches himself.
2010 Gubernatorial election
Andre Bauer officially announced his plans to run for governor with a statewide tour on March 22, 2010. In December 2009, former Arkansas Governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee endorsed Bauer for Governor. Bauer was defeated in the Republican primary in June 2010.
2012 Congressional election
In 2012 Bauer unsuccessfully ran for the new
South Carolina's 7th congressional district
The 7th congressional district of South Carolina is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in South Carolina, established in 2011 following apportionment of another seat to the state following the 2010 census. ...
; however, after initially winning the primary against
Tom Rice
Hugh Thompson Rice Jr. (born August 4, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for . The district serves most of the northeastern corner of the state and includes Myrtle Beach, the Grand Strand, Florence ...
, on June 12, by 32% to 27%, he was defeated in the run-off against Rice by 56% to 44%.
Ambassadorial nomination
On July 17, 2020, President Trump nominated Bauer to be
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Belize. On January 3, 2021, his nomination was returned to the President under
Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
.
Presidential endorsements
In January 2008, Bauer endorsed Arkansas Governor
Mike Huckabee
Michael Dale Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician, Baptist minister, and political commentator who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomina ...
for the
2008 Republican presidential nomination.
In November 2011, Bauer endorsed
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U ...
for the
2012 Republican presidential nomination.
In February 2016, Bauer endorsed
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
in the
2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Personal life
According to his driving record with the
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bauer has had at least two accidents, four tickets, and one suspended license for failure to pay a ticket.
[Lt. Gov. Bauer caught twice for speeding recently, got no tickets](_blank)
from wistv.com. On May 6, 2003, Bauer was stopped on Assembly Street in downtown
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
, for running two red lights and speeding up to 60 mph in a 35-mph zone. The officer drew his gun after Bauer got out of the car and began heading toward the officer's car in an "aggressive manner." He was issued a ticket for reckless driving. On December 26, 2005, Bauer got a warning for speeding (77 mph in a 65 mph zone) in
Laurens County, South Carolina
Laurens County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 67,539. Its county seat is Laurens.
Laurens County is included in the Greenville-Anderson- Mauldin, SC Metropolitan Statistical ...
. On February 25, 2006, Bauer was pulled over for speeding over 100 mph in
Chester County, South Carolina
Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 32,294. Its county seat is Chester.
Chester County is included in the Charlotte-Concord- Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistica ...
in a state-issued car, but he was allowed to proceed without a ticket or warning.
On May 23, 2006, Bauer was injured in a single-engine airplane crash shortly after taking off from a small airfield in
Blacksburg, South Carolina
Blacksburg is a small town in Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,848 at the 2010 census. The communities of Cherokee Falls, Kings Creek, Cashion Crossroads, Buffalo, and Mount Paran are located near the town.
Bl ...
. Bauer, who was the pilot of the
Mooney M20
The Mooney M20 is a family of piston-powered, four-seat, propeller-driven, general aviation aircraft, all featuring low wings and tricycle gear, manufactured by the Mooney International Corporation.Munson, Kenneth & Michael Taylor: ''Jane's ...
E single-prop airplane, and his passenger escaped the wreckage before the plane caught fire. Bauer's passenger had only minor injuries. Bauer, however, was more seriously injured. He underwent surgery for a shattered left heel. The incident was voted "Best Political Stunt in 2006" by readers of the ''Free Times'' alternative weekly tabloid. While the factual report indicated that "best practice" procedures would have revealed that the airfield was too short to safely take off from, the findings only addressed Bauer's "failure to abort the takeoff after the airplane failed to achieve adequate airspeed on the takeoff roll for undetermined reasons." According to FAA regulations, "
e pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for . . . the operation of that aircraft" including determining if the aircraft is in airworthy condition and properly making the decision to abort takeoff in time to avoid a crash. Though in no way relieving Bauer of his being responsible for the crash, a June 11, 2009 court ruling points to a possible reason the airplane might not have achieved sufficient takeoff speed. Administrative Judge Richard C. Goodwin concluded “By overhauling the engine and returning it to service with incorrect bolts installed, respondent created an unnecessary risk in engine performance.”
On August 7, 2018 Bauer married
Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its y ...
real estate agent Meredith Carter.
They welcomed a son, Andrè Wesley Bauer into the world on September 10, 2019. Bauer also has one stepdaughter and twin stepsons.
References
External links
Personal website*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bauer, Andre
1969 births
American United Methodists
Christians from South Carolina
Living people
Lieutenant Governors of South Carolina
Republican Party South Carolina state senators
Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina
Businesspeople from Charleston, South Carolina
Sons of the American Revolution
University of South Carolina alumni