Floyd Davidson Spence (April 9, 1928-August 16, 2001) was a Republican politician from South Carolina. April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Representative democracy History of democracy Referenda Liberal democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Ideology Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by... State nickname: Palmetto State Other U.S. States Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Governor Mark Sanford (R) Official languages English Area 82,965 km² (40th)  - Land 78,051 km²  - Water 4,915 km² (6%) Population (2000)  - Population {{{2000Pop}}} (26th)  - Density 51. ...

He was born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1928, but spent most of his life in nearby Lexington County, South Carolina. Shortly after graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U. S. Naval Reserve, retiring as a captain in 1988. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English in 1952, earning a law degree from the same school four years later. Location in South Carolina Founded  -Incorporated March 22, 1786   County Richland County Mayor Bob Coble Area  - Total  - Water 330. ... Lexington County is a county located in the state of South Carolina. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of South Carolina (also known as USC, South Carolina, or simply Carolina) is a public, coeducational, research university. ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Just after leaving law school, he was elected to represent Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives as a Democrat. He was reelected in 1958 and 1960. However, on April 14, 1962, Spence became the first elected official at any level in South Carolina to switch to the Republican Party. He was very uncomfortable with the national Democrats' increasingly liberal platform, and also opposed a loyalty oath required by the state Democrats. The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism, an adherent of the ideology espousing individual liberty and private property, meaning varies country to country American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Modern liberalism, in the USA, describes a political ideology that favors government intervention to promote equality Political progressivism, a political...

On the same day, he announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for the state's 2nd Congressional District, based in Columbia. He'd been asked by several of his friends to run before his switch, but declined. He faced fellow state representative Albert Watson in November and wasn't given much of a chance. At the time, the Democratic Party was virtually the only party in South Carolina, and Democratic presidential candidates frequently won the state with close to 90% of the popular vote. Indeed, Spence's party switch made him the first Republican in either house of the state legislature since Reconstruction. However, he only lost to Watson by six percentage points--a race that is largely credited with beginning the rise of the Republican Party in South Carolina. In 1966, Spence was elected to the South Carolina Senate, becoming the chamber's lone Republican. He was reelected in 1968, and naturally became minority leader when he was joined by other Republicans that year. Albert William Watson (August 30, 1922 - September 25, 1994) was a South Carolina politician. ... For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... In the history of the United States, Reconstruction was the period after the American Civil War when the southern states of the breakaway Confederacy were reintegrated into the United States of America. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

In 1970, Spence ran for the 2nd Congressional District again. Watson, who had defeated Spence eight years before, had become a Republican in 1965 and was running for governor. This time, it was Spence who won a narrow victory. He became the first freshman Republican congressman from South Carolina since Reconstruction. He was unopposed for reelection in the gigantic Republican landslide of 1972 and reelected 14 times thereafter. Early on, he established himself as one of the most conservative members of the House. His first bill in his freshman year was the first-ever balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... // Events January-February January 4 - United States President Lyndon Johnson proclaims his Great Society during his State of the Union address. ... A list of South Carolina Governors. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ...

Spence had little trouble being reelected until 1986, when he faced a well-funded opponent for the first time since his first campaign in 1970. He faced another tough campaign in 1988. However, the retirement of Congressman William Whitehurst of Virginia made Spence the second-ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, on which Spence had served since his first term. The district includes several military bases. He became the committee's ranking Republican in 1993 and chairman of the committee in 1995 when Republicans took control of the House. Largely because of his advances on the committee, Spence was never seriously challenged after 1988, and even ran unopposed from 1990 through 1996. As chairman, Spence emphasized military readiness, calling it "the best insurance we have both for peace and freedom." He stepped down as chairman after the 106th Congress, but remained on the committee. 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

He died on August 16, 2001, at the age of 73 from complications following brain surgery, only eight months into his 16th term. August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...