Alex Sanders

Alexander Mullings Sanders Jr. (born September 29, 1939) is an American politician, jurist, and professor from the state of South Carolina. Sanders served in the South Carolina House of Representatives and South Carolina Senate as a Democrat before becoming the first chief judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals in 1983. He later served as president of the College of Charleston from 1992 to 2001 and was the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in 2002, losing to Lindsey Graham. Sanders also co-founded the Charleston School of Law and taught at the College of Charleston until 2020.

Early life and education Sanders was born in and grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. His mother was a schoolteacher and his father made money by arranging hunting and fishing trips. Sanders grew up in modest circumstances in Columbia and met his future wife, Zoe Dutrow, at a local playground when they were four years old. he received his bachelor's degree and J.D. from the University of South Carolina. He later earned a master's degree in judicial process from the University of Virginia.

Sanders served as a State Senator from 1977 to 1983. From 1976 to 1978, he served as the first chair of South Carolina's Council of Advisors, a body established to assist the state Department of Consumer Affairs in administering and obtaining compliance with the South Carolina Consumer Protection Code. Sanders was also the primary sponsor of legislation which ensured that revenue from South Carolina's migratory-waterfowl stamp was used solely for "the cost of printing, promotion and production of the stamp and for those migratory waterfowl projects specified by the [South Carolina Wildlife and Martine Resources] Commission for the development, protection and propagation of waterfowl in the State". He further co-sponsored the South Carolina Water Use Reporting and Coordination Act, enacted in 1982, which established a statewide system for gathering information on substantial withdrawals and uses of surface and groundwater.

In 1983, the then all-white South Carolina Senate voted to adopt a single-member district reapportionment plan that insured African Americans would be elected to the body for the first time in almost a century. Prior to this vote, there had been several political roadblocks. In December 1982, Sanders removed one of those roadblocks when "he announced that he would not seek reelection and expressed hope that this would make it easier to divide Richland County into four single-member districts that would insure election of a black senator."

Tenure on the South Carolina Court of Appeals Because of his popularity within the state house, he was appointed as the first ever chief judge of the newly-created South Carolina Court of Appeals. Langley v. Boyter, 284 S.C. 162, 325 S.E.2d 550 (1984); Doe v. Doe, 286 S.C. 507, 334 S.E.2d 829 (Ct. App. 1985); Herald Publ’g Co. v. Barnwell, 291 S.C. 4, 351 S.E.2d 878 (Ct. App. 1986); M&T Chemicals, Inc. v. Barker Industries, Inc., 296 S.C. 103, 370 S.E.2d 886 (Ct. App. 1988); and Husband v. Wife, 301 S.C. 531, 392 S.E.2d 811 (1990).

2002 United States Senate race

In 2002, Sanders was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant after the retirement of Strom Thurmond. The Senate seat had not been open since 1966. Sanders was an underdog in the race and was ultimately defeated by the Republican candidate, U.S. Representative Lindsey Graham. He also opposed Graham's proposal to allow workers to invest part of their Social Security contributions in private investment accounts.

Political views Sanders was an environmentalist throughout his political career.

Sanders was a member of both the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Rifle Association.

Academic career

Sanders was the 19th president of the College of Charleston (1992–2001). During Sanders' tenure as president, "the total number of students enrolled at the College increased by 16 percent, the number of minority students increased by 32 percent and the number of international students increased by a whopping 99 percent." During these years, Sanders also remained on the College of Charleston faculty and taught an undergraduate course on the law regularly until 2020.

Sanders was a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics during the fall 2003 semester. Sanders continued practicing law after leaving public office and academia.