Robert A. Barber Jr. of Charleston was the 2006

Democratic 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 ...

Party's Nominee for

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 ...

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 = G ...

. In November 2006, Barber faced off against incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer, who sought a second term in office, defeating Barber in the General Election.

Early life and career

Robert Barber was born in Charleston, South Carolina on July 29, 1949. Having spent his earliest years on Folly Beach and nearby Bowen's Island, Barber moved to

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

with his parents at the age of 10. After graduating from Columbia High School in 1967, he attended

Wofford College Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It was founded in 1854. The campus is a national arboretum and one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the Americ ...

and graduated in 1971. Barber later received a Masters of Divinity from Duke University in 1976. He then returned to his native state and served as a minister in two Laurens County churches before entering law school. Receiving his J.D. degree in 1982 from the

South Texas College of Law South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL or South Texas) is a private law school in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1923, it is accredited by the American Bar Association. South Texas College of Law Houston is the oldest law school in the city of ...

, Barber engaged in a general practice of law in Charleston before being elected to the Charleston County School Board in 1984.

S.C. House of Representatives

Barber served for four years on the Charleston County School Board and from 1986 to 1988 served as its chairman. In 1988, he was elected into the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

. Serving in the House from 1989 to 1994, Barber spent time on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Operations and Management Committees. In 1993 and 1994, he chaired the Joint Legislative Committee on Energy. In 1994, rather than run for re-election, Barber ran for the U.S. House of Representatives as the Democratic candidate for the First Congressional District, but lost to a political newcomer named

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 th ...

Later career

After leaving the SC House, Barber split his time between running Bowen's Island Seafood Restaurant, which his grandparents founded in the 1940s, and serving as a consultant for a range of predominantly not-for-profit public interest groups. A conservationist, health care advisor, and advocate for the state's elderly population, Barber has attempted to improve the lives of many South Carolinians through his work for organizations such as the South Carolina Wildlife Federation,

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, the

College of Charleston The College of Charleston (CofC or Charleston) is a public university in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in South Carolina, the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the Uni ...

, the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, the

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, w ...

and the Association of Council on Aging Directors. In 2010, Barber ran for

Comptroller General of South Carolina The comptroller general of South Carolina is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of South Carolina. Forty individuals have held the office of comptroller general since 1800. The office has been held by Brian J. Ga ...

. He lost to Richard Eckstrom, the incumbent.

The Barber Family

Barber met LaNelle Dominick in the 5th grade in Columbia. They dated throughout their high school years at Columbia High, as well as through college. They later married after Barber's graduation from Wofford. LaNelle, a graduate of Queens College, in

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

is now a public school teacher in Charleston, at Buist Academy. Robert and LaNelle have two children, Hope and Matt. Hope and her husband, Bill McIntosh, live in Summerville with their two daughters, Mary Lesesne and Frances. Matt and his wife Danielle, live in Summerville with their daughter, Madelyn. Barber's father, Bob Barber, worked for 35 years with the C&S National Bank in Charleston and Columbia. His mother, Cile, was a career homemaker who, with Bob's help, raised six children. After the children were grown, Cile opened antique shops in Columbia and Newberry. His parents have resided in Newberry since 1987. Robert has four brothers and a sister who live and work in Charleston, Columbia and Irmo.

References

External links