J. Warren Tompkins, III has had an enduring impact on South Carolina politics for nearly two decades. Highly regarded as a shrewd political strategist, his advice has been sought throughout the Southeast in local, state and national races.

As a political science major at the University of South Carolina, Mr. Tompkins augmented his political education by volunteering his time and budding talents to local races, working in his first campaign in a 1974 magistrate’s race. But it was his volunteer work for Strom Thurmond’s 1978 Senate campaign that made people take notice. His tireless efforts on the campaign won him a position as Senator Thurmond’s Statewide Coordinator of Special Events.

His effectiveness got the attention of the South Carolina School Boards Association, where Mr. Tompkins created a legislative agenda for the Association that became one of the most efficient voices for education in the state.

His advice was so valued by the Reagan/Bush Campaign during the first Republican primary in South Carolina in 1980, that he was named Executive Director for the South Carolina Reagan/Bush Campaign for the general election. He later served in the same capacity for the 1984 re-election effort and as a strategist for the 1988 Bush Presidential campaign.

A seasoned veteran by the age of 29, Mr. Tompkins was appointed Executive Director of the South Carolina Republican Party in 1981, facing a huge deficit in the party’s budget and only a small number of party faithful to help reduce that deficit. Under his leadership, the party was reorganized and fundraising took a different approach. In just 12 months, the deficit was erased and active contributors soared from less than a thousand to more than 10,000 during his tenure.

In 1984, Mr. Tompkins had his greatest impact yet on South Carolina politics. He spearheaded the South’s most successful voter registration drive as more than 100,000 voters were signed up as part of a long-range plan Mr. Tompkins developed to impact legislative elections. The result? The numbers of Republican members of the South Carolina House and Senate doubled under his direction. And it was Mr. Tompkins’ aggressive pursuit of fairness that resulted in the party’s successful 1984 lawsuit concerning South Carolina Senate reapportionment.

In 1986, Congressman Carroll Campbell turned to Mr. Tompkins to help him become South Carolina’s second Republican governor. As Governor Campbell’s Chief of Staff, he was a catalyst in the administration’s successes, supervising a staff of more than 230 people and budgets totaling more than $91 million.
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Mr. Tompkins was the chief architect in developing the administration’s strategy for economic development, education reform, tax cuts, environmental protection, and government restructuring. He assisted Governor Campbell in directing more than $400-million dollars in grants for local and statewide programs which created a blueprint for balanced growth, public safety and environmental protection.

His talent for crisis management was vital in South Carolina’s recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo. As chairman of the Emergency Management Review Panel, he directed a statewide effort to develop a comprehensive plan to diminish the effects of future natural disasters in South Carolina.

Since 1991, when he started private practice, Tompkins has successfully provided government and legislative affairs guidance to public and private agencies, political organizations and candidates, corporations and individuals.

In 2002, Tompkins was a general consultant to Lindsey Graham in his successful bid to fill the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Strom Thurmond from 1955 - 2003.

Most recently, Tompkins served as an advisor to U.S. Representative Jim DeMint in his successful bid for U.S. Senate. He was also the Atlantic Region Chair of the successful Bush-Cheney ’04 campaign.

Experienced in politics and government, Mr. Tompkins’ network of contacts at the federal, state and local levels, coupled with an unparalleled level of expertise and insight, will produce the desired results for government, public and private agencies, political organizations, corporations, and individuals through multi-faceted campaigns addressing every aspect of client’s needs.

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