Kevin L. Bryant (born February 19, 1967) is an American politician,

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

, and businessman. A member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, Bryant served as the 92nd

Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina The lieutenant governor of South Carolina is the second-in-command to the governor of South Carolina. Beyond overseeing the Office on Aging and the responsibility to act or serve as governor in the event of the office's vacancy, the duties of th ...

from January 25, 2017 to January 9, 2019, after serving in the

South Carolina 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 sa ...

from 2005 to 2017. He lost the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2018 to Governor

Henry McMaster Henry Dargan McMaster (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 117th governor of South Carolina since January 24, 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. McMaster worked for U.S. senator Strom Thurmond, i ...

Background

Bryant is the son of Clifford W. and Gloria J. Bryant. Bryant has managed, with his brothers and father, Bryant Pharmacy & Supply, an independent pharmacy located in Anderson. He and his wife, Ann have three children. The family have attended a non-denominational New Testament fellowship, where Bryant has served as a deacon. Bryant earned a bachelor's degree from the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

. He is the president of Bryant Pharmacy and Supply.

South Carolina Senate

Bryant was elected to the

in 2004 to represent 3rd District based in

Anderson County, South Carolina Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 203,718. Its county seat is Anderson. Named for Revolutionary War leader Robert Anderson, the county is located in northwestern ...

. He was re-elected in 2008, 2012 and 2016. Bryant is the chairman of the Invitations Committee, and he also sits on the Agriculture and Natural Resources, Finance, General and Labor, Commerce and Industry committees. Bryant, a Republican, considers himself one of the most right-wing politicians in the state. He made national news when he introduced legislation to extend the death penalty to child rapists. The legislation was signed into law by then 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 ...

in 2006. In 2008, Bryant attracted controversy after posting an image on his official campaign website of

Osama bin Laden Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (10 March 1957 – 2 May 2011) was a Saudi-born extremist militant who founded al-Qaeda and served as its leader from 1988 until Killing of Osama bin Laden, his death in 2011. Ideologically a Pan-Islamism ...

and presidential candidate

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

, with the caption saying "the difference between Obama and Osama is just a little B.S." Additionally, Bryant is an outspoken critic of government spending; he is a founding member of the William Wallace Caucus, a group of conservative senators who favor a laissez-faire approach to government policy and were fervid supporters of former Governor Mark Sanford. Bryant opposes same-sex marriage and supports a Constitutional amendment that would outlaw the practice, and he believes that man-made global warming is a myth. Bryant is a

Creationist Creationism is the religious belief that nature, and aspects such as the universe, Earth, life, and humans, originated with supernatural acts of divine creation. Gunn 2004, p. 9, "The ''Concise Oxford Dictionary'' says that creationism is 'th ...

who believes the entire Universe was created in a literal 6 days approximately 6,000 years ago.

Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (2017–2019)

Nikki Haley Nimrata Nikki Haley (née Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Na ...

resigned as

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

on January 24, 2017 to become

United States Ambassador to the United Nations The United States ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is formally known as the permanent representative of the United States of America to the United Nations ...

, the lieutenant governor, automatically became governor at that time.

Hugh Leatherman Hugh Kenneth Leatherman Sr. (April 14, 1931 – November 12, 2021) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the South Carolina Senate from 1981 until his death in 2021. The 31st District, which he represented, is anchored i ...

, the Senate president pro tempore, refused to become lieutenant governor per the South Carolina Constitution; Leatherman temporarily resigned as president pro tempore, and Bryant was elected to the position on January 25. This automatically promoted him to the vacant lieutenant governorship.

2018 gubernatorial election

Bryant ran for governor in the 2018 Republican Primary. He placed fourth behind Henry McMaster, John Warren, and Catherine Templeton. Bryant finished the race with 6.7% of the vote. After his defeat, he endorsed businessman John Warren.http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/election/article213157169.html

Notes

References

External links

South Carolina Legislature - Senator Kevin L. Bryant
official SC Senate website
Project Vote Smart - Senator Kevin L. Bryant (SC)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - Kevin L. Bryant
20062004
campaign contributions {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Kevin L. 1967 births 21st-century American politicians Lieutenant Governors of South Carolina Living people People from Anderson, South Carolina Republican Party South Carolina state senators University of Georgia alumni