Hugh Leatherman, powerful SC lawmaker and Senate finance chairman, in hospice care
South Carolina Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman, arguably one of the State House’s most powerful legislators, is at home receiving hospice care, multiple sources familiar with the senator’s health told The State.
Leatherman, R-Florence, celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this spring. He is in his 11th term.
Leatherman had been in the hospital recently for surgery to address an intestinal blockage, and was allowed to go home. For weeks, he had not been seen at legislative hearings. The Associated Press reported he was receiving hospice care for what colleagues described as an inoperable cancer.
“He has been in the hospital. He’s dealing with some serious health issues right now. He’s back home resting now, and his family thanks everybody for their thoughts and prayers,” Leatherman’s office said.
As budget chairman, Leatherman holds significant power over the Legislature’s spending of millions of dollars every year, and it gives him a prime seat on the state’s Fiscal Accountability Authority. He’s held seats on a variety of important Senate committees, including the chamber’s transportation, ethics, rules and joint bond review committees.
His position also allows him influence over tax-related legislation, bond deals and economic development spending.
Leatherman has been a big proponent of expanding operations at the Port of Charleston, including the harbor deepening to allow for bigger ships to come in. This year, he pushed for a $550 million investment in the port to bring railroad access closer for ships. He also played an instrumental role in luring Boeing to North Charleston.
Boeing and the port, which includes the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, are shown prominently in Leatherman’s portrait hanging inside the Senate chamber.
His elevated power also has brought criticism.
He’s long been a target for the amounts of state dollars directed toward his home district, as well as millions in state contracts given to the concrete company he founded, and from which he still draws a salary.
And, in recent years, he drew the ire of his own colleagues over a lack of transparency for how the chamber rolls up lawmakers’ pet project requests into the state budget.
Leatherman joined the Senate in 1981, and has represented District 31, which covers parts of Darlington and Florence counties, for roughly 40 years.
At one point during his career, Leatherman briefly resigned his position as Senate president pro tempore to avoid becoming the state’s lieutenant governor — a position the Legislature eventually did away with entirely a year later. He was reelected to the position until lawmakers also did away with that job, and Leatherman decided to keep the Finance Committee chairmanship rather than preside over the chamber.
Prior to the Senate, he served on the Quinby Town Council from 1967-1976, and was mayor pro tempore from 1971-1976, according to his legislative biography. In 1986, he ran for governor as a Democrat but lost in the primary. In the mid-1990s, he switched to the Republican Party amid the Republican revolution.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Hugh Leatherman, powerful SC lawmaker and Senate finance chairman, in hospice care."
