About Mike Daniel

Mike Daniel was born and raised in Gaffney, South Carolina. He attended The Citadel and later earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. He earned his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. 

 

Before beginning his legal career, Mike served as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army's 8th Infantry Division in Germany. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his skills and performance. Following active duty, he joined the Army Reserves, where he attended and graduated from the Judge Advocate General’s School at the University of Virginia and the Command and General Staff College. He retired as a Lt. Colonel from the National Guard. 

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Mike built a distinguished legal career, serving as a partner at Hall, Daniel, and Winter and later at Haynesworth, Sinkler, and Boyd. He served ten years in the South Carolina House of Representatives. During his time in the House, he was vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Rules Committee and was elected by his colleagues as Speaker Pro Tem.

 

As a legislator, Mike played a leading role in major policy initiatives including the Judicial Reform Act, the Education Finance Act, reforms to the Public Service Commission, and efforts to improve access to high-quality health care in rural communities.

 

Following his time in the House, Mike was elected the 84th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina after running on the pledge to support the Five Es: education, ethics, economic development, environmental protection, and equality of opportunity. During his tenure, he transformed what had traditionally been a largely ceremonial office into one of active leadership and advocacy.

 

Mike played a key role in implementing the Education Improvement Act (EIA), which allocated $228 million to improve education. He also helped establish literacy associations in local communities across the state to improve literacy rates. 

 

He was instrumental in developing South Carolina's film industry, helping bring major productions to the state, including the CBS miniseries Chiefs, the 1983 feature film The Big Chill, and the 1985 miniseries North and South.

 

A strong advocate for South Carolina's business community, Mike helped small businesses navigate the state's complex regulatory environment, helping move South Carolina's national small-business ranking from 49th to 14th in one year. He also led Gov. Richard W. Riley's Implementation Task Force, which addressed challenges facing the state's agriculture and technology sectors.

 

Since leaving public office, Mike has worked with businesses and organizations across a wide range of industries, helping clients navigate public policy, legislative affairs, and regulatory issues.

 

Mike lives in Gaffney, South Carolina, where he is an active member of Buford Street United Methodist Church, where he has served as Chairman of the Church Council and led men’s Bible studies.