Nick Andrew Theodore (born September 16, 1928) is a former American politician from South Carolina. He was the first Greek-American elected to the South Carolina State Legislature. He served as a state representative from 1963 to 1966 and 1970 to 1978, a South Carolina state senator from 1967 to 1968 and from 1981 to 1986, and the 85th lieutenant governor of South Carolina from 1987 to 1995.[1] He is a member of the Democratic Party,[2] and is the most recent Democrat elected as South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor.
Ironically, it was fellow Greenville resident Campbell who, in 1978, had defeated Theodore in an election to the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina's 4th congressional district, one of famed political strategist Lee Atwater's first major triumphs.[1] Despite this history, and the differences in their political philosophies and party affiliations, Campbell and Theodore worked together quite effectively during their two terms in office, and remained friendly with each other.
On April 13, 1993, Theodore witnessed the car accident that killed Nancy Thurmond, the daughter of longtime South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, from less than twenty feet away. Theodore had attended Nancy's 22nd birthday party only two weeks earlier.[5]
At the conclusion of Campbell's two terms in office, Theodore ran for governor in 1994, defeating Charleston mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. to secure the Democratic nomination. Theodore lost to Campbell's protégé David Beasley, however, in the general election. Four years later in 1998 he tried to regain his former post as lieutenant governor but lost in the general election to incumbent Bob Peeler (R).
Trials and Triumphs: South Carolina's Evolution, 1962-2014: Political Memoirs and Personal Memories of Nick Theodore[7] (Faith Printing Company, Taylors, SC: 2014).
External links
Nick A. Theodore Papers at South Carolina Political Collections at the University of South Carolina
^Bailey, N. Louise, Morgan, Mary L., and Taylor, Carolyn R., Biographical Directory of the South Carolina State Senate: 1776-1985, v. III (1986). pp. 1589-91, University of South Carolina Press, ISBN0-87249-489-6.
^Theodore, Nick A. (Nicholas Andrew), 1928- (2014). Trials and triumphs : South Carolina's evolution, 1962-2014 : political memoirs and personal memories of Nick Theodore. Partridge, Dave. Taylors, SC: Faith Printing Company. ISBN978-0-578-14068-1. OCLC880141324.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
