Tom Corbin

Leann Robertson

​

(m. 2012)​

Tom Corbin
Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 2012
Children	2
Alma mater	Clemson University (B.S.)
Profession	Businessman

Thomas D. Corbin (born January 11, 1965) is an American businessman and politician. He is a member of the South Carolina Senate from the 5th District (Travelers Rest,Greenville County), serving since 2012. Prior to that, he served for two years as a member in the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 17th District. ^[1] He is a member of the Republican party. ^{[2] [3]}

Political career

S.C. House of Representatives

Elections

2010 South Carolina House of Representatives

Corbin was first elected to the legislature in 2010, when he entered the race for the South Carolina House of Representatives against Republican incumbent Harry Cato, who was seeking an eleventh term. ^[4] Corbin won the Republican primary and went on to defeat Democrat Stephen Salter in a landslide victory in the general election. ^[5]

2010 South Carolina House of Representatives District 17 Republican Primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom Corbin	3,379	65.0
	Republican	Harry Cato (incumbent)	1,818	35.0
Total votes			5,197	100.0

2010 South Carolina House of Representatives District 17 General Election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom Corbin	8,817	81.4
	Democratic	Stephen Salter	2,006	18.5
	Write-in		12	0.1
Total votes			10,835	100.0
	Republican hold

2012 South Carolina House of Representatives

After serving his first term, Corbin ran for reelection in the House uncontested. After Corbin qualified for the general election, it was announced that incumbent State Sen. Phillip Shoopman would step down, leaving the seat open. As a result, Corbin ran concurrently in both races.

2012 South Carolina House of Representatives District 17 General Election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom Corbin (incumbent)	13,137	98.7
	Write-in		167	1.3
Total votes			13,304	100.0
	Republican hold

S.C. Senate

Elections

2012 South Carolina Senate

Corbin ran concurrently in this race and the State House race after Phillip Shoopman announced that he would not run for reelection. He defeated Republican opponent Amanda Tieder Somers by nearly a 2-to-1 margin the primary and did not face opposition in the general election. After winning election to the Senate, Corbin resigned his House seat, triggering a special election that was won by Mike Burns. ^[6]

2012 South Carolina Senate District 4 Republican Primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom Corbin	3,050	65.4
	Republican	Amanda Tieder Somers	1,616	34.6
Total votes			4,666	100.0

2012 South Carolina Senate District 4 General Election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom Corbin	33,491	98.8
	Write-in		406	1.2
Total votes			33,897	100.0
	Republican hold

2016 South Carolina Senate

Further information: 2016 South Carolina Senate election § District 5

Corbin ran for reelection to the Senate after the conclusion of his first four-year term. He narrowly defeated Republican challenger John B. White in the primary, winning his party's nomination by only 321 votes. ^[7] Corbin ran unopposed in the general election. ^[8]

2020 South Carolina Senate

Further information: 2020 South Carolina Senate election § District 5

Corbin won a third term in the Senate, defeating Republican challenger Dave Edwards in the primary ^[9] and Democratic challenger Michael McCord in the general election.

2024 South Carolina Senate

Further information: 2024 South Carolina Senate election § District 5

Corbin will run unopposed for reelection in 2024. ^[10]

Tenure

Corbin formerly served on the State Senate's general and judiciary committees, and currently serves on the finance; fish, game and forestry; labor, commerce and industry; medical affairs; and rules committees, as well as serving on the subcommittee on natural resources and the transportation and regulatory subcommittee. ^[2]

Following redistricting after the 2020 US Census, S.C. Senate District 5 covers parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties. ^[1]

2020 Census Redistricting

All S.C. State Senate Districts, following the redistricting after the 2020 Census.

South Carolina State Senate District 5 consists of Greenville & Spartanburg Counties.

Political views

Corbin is a conservative and a member of the Republican Party. As of 2018, he holds a 54% lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union. ^[11] As is listed on his 2020 campaign website, Corbin is pro-life, and supports gun rights, lowering taxes, and cutting government spending. ^[12]

Medical Cannabis Legislation

Corbin has generally been against the legalization of medicinal marijuana, consistently voting against advancing the legislation out of sub-committees and committees he sits on. ^{[13] [14] [15]} In a new round of legalization proposals in 2024, Corbin got the senate to adopt his amendment that would allow landlords and property owners to prohibit vaping cannabis products in their homes. ^[16]

Controversy

Corbin has been involved in controversy regarding comments he has made about women. In 2015, in a comment directed at South Carolina Sen. Katrina Shealy, the lone female senator at the time, Corbin said, "Well, you know God created man first. Then he took the rib out of man to make woman. And you know, a rib is a lesser cut of meat." Corbin later apologized, claiming that the comment was made "in jest", and that Shealy "chose to be offended and make a big deal out of all this". ^[17] Although accepting his apology, Shealy later responded that "whether the person speaking them thinks they are in jest or not, these words are hurtful and disrespectful." ^[17]

Corbin has also allegedly remarked that women "do not belong in the South Carolina General Assembly", but rather "at home baking cookies" or "barefoot and pregnant". ^[18]

Personal life

Early life and education

Tom Corbin was born on January 11, 1965, in Greenville, South Carolina to Barbee and Gail McCarty Corbin. He attended Clemson University, graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in ornamental horticulture. ^[2]

Present

Corbin is married to Leann Robertson, with whom he has two children. ^[1] The family currently resides in Travelers Rest. Corbin is a Baptist, and serves as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Clearview Baptist Church. He has served as vice president and president of the Burban Creek Plantation, a hunting reserve located in Taylors, South Carolina. ^[1]

References

1. "South Carolina Legislature Online – Member Biography". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
2. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
3. "Thomas D. "Tom" Corbin – South Carolina Senator – Open States". openstates.org. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
4. "Let the (election) season begin". Greenville Journal. March 31, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
5. "SC House top officer, 2 other GOP members lose". wcnc.com. June 9, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
6. "Burns files for House District 17 special election". GreerToday.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
7. Fair, Jim. "Tom Corbin edges John White by 321 votes in Senate District 5 race". GreerToday.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
8. "Candidate Listing". info.scvotes.sc.gov. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
9. Cary, Nathaniel. "Rep. Bill Chumley, Chris Bennett in runoff in House District 35. Other incumbents sweep". The Greenville News. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
10. "Here's who has filed to run for the South Carolina legislature in 2024". WCBD News 2. March 19, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
11. "2018 Ratings of South Carolina" (PDF). American Conservative Union Foundation. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
12. "Platform | Tom Corbin for State Senate". www.senatorcorbin.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
13. "South Carolina Senate Medical Cannabis Voter Guide" (PDF). Marijuana Policy Project. June 9, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
14. Wilkinson, Jeff (March 20, 2019). "Medical marijuana advances in SC Senate". The State. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
15. Brown, Kirk (March 29, 2018). "Medical marijuana bill advances in SC but has little chance to pass this year". Independent Mail. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
16. Brams, Sophie (February 7, 2024). "Medical marijuana bill under consideration again in South Carolina". WCBD News 2. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
17. "'A lesser cut of meat'?". MSNBC. February 20, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
18. Matney, Mandy (June 10, 2020). "SC Senator Known For Calling Women 'A Lesser Cut Of Meat' Won Primary". FitsNews. Retrieved June 13, 2020.

South Carolina House of Representatives
Preceded by Harry Cato	Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 17th district 2010–2012	Succeeded by Mike Burns
South Carolina Senate
Preceded by Phillip Shoopman	Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 5th district 2012–present	Incumbent