# Jay Lucas > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jay_Lucas > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jay_Lucas.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Lucas > Source revision: 1346086738 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American politician and attorney}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jay Lucas | image = Jay Lucas.jpg | office = 60th [Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives](/source/Speaker_of_the_South_Carolina_House_of_Representatives) | term_start = December 2, 2014 | term_end = May 12, 2022 | predecessor = [Bobby Harrell](/source/Bobby_Harrell) | successor = [Murrell Smith](/source/Murrell_Smith) | state_house1 = South Carolina | district1 = 65th | term_start1 = December 1, 1998 | term_end1 = December 6, 2022 | predecessor1 = [John Michael Baxley](/source/John_Michael_Baxley) | successor1 = [Cody Mitchell](/source/Cody_Mitchell) | birth_name = James Howle Lucas | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|8|11}} | birth_place = [Columbia, South Carolina](/source/Columbia%2C_South_Carolina), U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) | spouse = Tracy Deglman | education = [University of South Carolina](/source/University_of_South_Carolina) ([BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts), [MPA](/source/Master_of_Public_Administration), [JD](/source/Juris_Doctor)) }} '''James Howle "Jay" Lucas''' (born August 11, 1957) is an American politician and attorney.{{Cite web|url=http://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=1126136229|title=South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography|website=www.scstatehouse.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-05-18|archive-date=2012-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322195410/http://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=1126136229|url-status=live}} He served as a member of the [South Carolina House of Representatives](/source/South_Carolina_House_of_Representatives) from the 65th District from 1999 to 2022. Lucas is a Republican.{{cite web|title=James Lucas|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/24993/james-lucas|publisher=Project Vote Smart|access-date=April 25, 2015|archive-date=May 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506173531/https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/24993/james-lucas|url-status=live}} Lucas was elected [Speaker of the House](/source/Speaker_of_the_South_Carolina_House_of_Representatives) in December 2014 after the resignation of [Bobby Harrell](/source/Bobby_Harrell).{{Cite news|url=http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article13922993.html|title=New speaker's political savvy springs from small-town roots|work=thestate|access-date=2018-05-18|language=en|archive-date=2018-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104062801/https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article13922993.html|url-status=live}} On March 15, 2022, he announced his decision to not run for reelection to the South Carolina House. He was succeeded as speaker by [Murrell Smith](/source/G._Murrell_Smith_Jr.).{{cite news |last=Adcocx |first=Seanna |date=March 15, 2022 |title=Bowing out, SC House Speaker Jay Lucas won't seek reelection, ending 24-year career |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/bowing-out-sc-house-speaker-jay-lucas-wont-seek-re-election-ending-24-year-career/article_3e6dfbc8-a3cb-11ec-b18c-2b8e886e2b5e.html |work=[The Post and Courier](/source/The_Post_and_Courier) |access-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401051055/https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/bowing-out-sc-house-speaker-jay-lucas-wont-seek-re-election-ending-24-year-career/article_3e6dfbc8-a3cb-11ec-b18c-2b8e886e2b5e.html |url-status=live }} ==Political career== Lucas's political career began in the 1980s as he held various local positions. From 1982 to 1984, he served as the financial director for [Bennettsville](/source/Bennettsville%2C_South_Carolina). From 1984 to 1986, he was county administrator of [Fairfield County](/source/Fairfield_County%2C_South_Carolina). From 1990 to 1994, he was the county attorney for [Darlington County](/source/Darlington_County%2C_South_Carolina), and from 1995 to 1996, was a judge for [Hartsville](/source/Hartsville%2C_South_Carolina) in Darlington. Lucas entered state level politics in 1998 when he became the Republican nominee for [South Carolina House of Representatives](/source/South_Carolina_House_of_Representatives) District 65, which was being vacated by incumbent Democrat Michael Baxley. On November 3, 1998, Lucas defeated Democratic nominee Tony Floyd by less than forty votes.{{Cite web |url=https://www.scvotes.gov/cgi-bin/scsec/r1 |title=South Carolina Election Returns |website=scvotes.org |access-date=April 1, 2022 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He became the first Republican to hold the seat since the [Reconstruction era](/source/Reconstruction_era).{{Cite news|last=Pye |first=Jana E. |date=December 8, 2015 |title=Meet the Dancers! |url=https://www.newsandpress.net/meet-the-dancers/|url-status=live |work=News and Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020163434/https://www.newsandpress.net/meet-the-dancers/ |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |access-date=April 1, 2022}} On December 2, 2014, Lucas became the 60th Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives following the resignation of Speaker [Bobby Harrell](/source/Bobby_Harrell). He would hold the position of Speaker for the next eight years. He retired from the position on May 12, 2022. The house elected [Murrell Smith](/source/Murrell_Smith) as Lucas' successor.{{cite web |last1=Greene |first1=Mary |title=SC House unanimously elects next Speaker |url=https://www.wistv.com/2022/04/28/sc-house-elects-next-speaker-unanimously/ |website=WISTV |access-date=29 April 2022}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{CongLinks|votesmart=24993}} * {{Ballotpedia|James_Lucas|Jay Lucas}} {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[Bobby Harrell](/source/Bobby_Harrell)}} {{s-ttl|title=[Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives](/source/Speaker_of_the_South_Carolina_House_of_Representatives)|years=2014–2022}} {{s-aft|after=[Murrell Smith Jr.](/source/Murrell_Smith_Jr.)}} {{s-end}} {{Speakers of the South Carolina House of Representatives}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lucas, Jay}} Category:1957 births Category:21st-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly Category:Lawyers from Columbia, South Carolina Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Columbia, South Carolina Category:Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Category:South Carolina lawyers Category:Speakers of the South Carolina House of Representatives Category:University of South Carolina alumni --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jay Lucas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Lucas) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Lucas?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.