Stephen K. Benjamin Explained

Steve Benjamin
Office:Senior Advisor to the President
for Public Engagement
President:Joe Biden
Alongside:
Mike Donilon, Anita Dunn,
Gene Sperling, Mitch Landrieu, John Podesta,
Tom Perez and Annie Tomasini
Term Start:April 1, 2023
Predecessor:Keisha Lance Bottoms
Office1:Director of the
Office of Public Engagement
President1:Joe Biden
1Blankname1:Principal Deputy
1Namedata1:Jamie Citron
Term Start1:April 1, 2023
Predecessor1:Keisha Lance Bottoms
Office2:70th Mayor of Columbia
Term Start2:July 1, 2010
Term End2:January 4, 2022
Predecessor2:Bob Coble
Successor2:Daniel Rickenmann
Office3:76th President of the United States Conference of Mayors
Term Start3:May 7, 2018
Term End3:July 1, 2019
Predecessor3:Mitch Landrieu
Successor3:Bryan Barnett
Office4:Director of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services
Governor4:Jim Hodges
Term Start4:January 13, 1999
Term End4:January 15, 2003
Predecessor4:Stephen Bernie
Successor4:Joan Meacham
Birth Name:Stephen Keith Benjamin
Birth Date:1 December 1969
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Party:Democrat
Spouse:DeAndrea Gist
Education:University of South Carolina (BA, JD)

Stephen Keith Benjamin (born December 1, 1969) is an American politician and businessman currently serving as the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement for the Biden administration, and also as one of the senior advisors to President Biden since April 1, 2023. He previously served as the 70th mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, from July 2010 to January 2022. He was the first African American mayor in the city's history. Before serving as mayor, he worked in the Columbia metropolitan area as an attorney and served on various charitable organizations.

On November 8, 2017, Benjamin won re-election for a third term as mayor with no votes as no other candidate filed. Benjamin was declared re-elected.[1] Benjamin served as the 76th president of the United States Conference of Mayors from 2018 to 2019.[2]

Early life and education

Benjamin's parents are from Orangeburg, South Carolina, but relocated to Queens during the Great Migration in the 1960s. Benjamin moved to Columbia to attend college. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of South Carolina in 1991 and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1994.[3]

As a student at the University of South Carolina, Benjamin was actively involved in the student chapter of NAACP, eventually becoming president. He was elected as student body president during his undergraduate career and served as president of the student bar association during his third year of law school. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities.[4]

Career

In 1999, Benjamin was appointed by Democratic Governor Jim Hodges to lead the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services, a position which he held until 2003.[5] In 2002, Benjamin led an unsuccessful campaign for attorney general of South Carolina as a Democratic candidate, losing to Republican Henry McMaster by a margin of 11%.[6]

During the 2000 presidential election, Benjamin was a South Carolina state co-chair of GoreNet.[7] GoreNet was a group that supported the Al Gore campaign with a focus on grassroots and online organizing as well as hosting small dollar donor events.[8]

Benjamin is the principal of the Benjamin Law Firm, LLC, in Columbia, where his practice emphasized governmental strategic planning, administrative and regulatory work, municipal finance and general business matters.[9]

Mayor of Columbia

In 2010, Benjamin won a special election to become the mayor of Columbia, besting Kirkman Finlay III in a runoff to succeed Bob Coble. In November 2017, Benjamin was the only candidate to file for mayoral election. Benjamin, therefore, did not appear on the ballot and was automatically declared to be re-elected without any votes. On February 4, 2021, Benjamin announced that he would not seek re-election in 2021.[10]

Later career

Benjamin served as the Board Chair of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority),[11] an appointment by the Biden Administration.[12] He taught a leadership class at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a senior leadership fellow.[13] He is co-chair of the Center for US Global Leadership with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.[14] He was a member of the Advisory Board of the BGR Group.[15] He serves as chairman of the Board of the Flex Association, a group representing gig worker companies like Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart.[16]

In February 2023, Benjamin was appointed to serve as a senior advisor to President Joe Biden and director of the Office of Public Engagement, succeeding former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.[17] [18]

Personal life

Benjamin is married to DeAndrea G. Benjamin, a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. They have two daughters.[19]

Electoral history

Mayor of Columbia, 2013 [20]
CandidateVotes%
Steve Benjamin 10,40164.1
Moe Baddourah5,59434.4
Other2241.5
Mayor of Columbia, 2010 (Special Runoff)[21]
CandidateVotes%
Steve Benjamin10,89455.2
Kirkman Finlay III8,84544.8
Mayor of Columbia, 2010 (Special)[22]
CandidateVotes%
Steve Benjamin6,06735.5
Kirkman Finlay III5,48532.1
Steve Morrison5,05329.5
Other4722.9
South Carolina Attorney General Election, 2002
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanHenry McMaster601,93155.48
DemocraticSteve Benjamin482,56044.48
Write-insWrite-ins4980.05

Recognition and awards

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dubious new distinction for Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. September 5, 2018.
  2. Web site: United States Conference of Mayors . Congratulations to @SteveBenjaminSC, the 76th President of the United States Conference of Mayors! . May 7, 2018 .
  3. Web site: South Carolina Legislature Online - Search. 2020-08-16. www.scstatehouse.gov.
  4. Web site:

    Welcome to the City of Columbia ::

    . 2020-08-16. www.columbiasc.net.
  5. Web site: Our History – SCDPPPS. www.dppps.sc.gov. September 5, 2018.
  6. Web site: Our Campaigns – SC Attorney General Race – Nov 05, 2002. www.ourcampaigns.com. September 5, 2018.
  7. Web site: GoreNet State Co-Chairs . Gore 2000 . 29 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20000815071349/http://www.algore.com/gorenet/net_directors.html . August 15, 2000 . 15 August 2000 . dead.
  8. Web site: GoreNet: A Network of Young Americans Dedicated to Al Gore President . Gore 2000 . 29 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20000815054240/http://www.algore.com/gorenet/index.html . August 15, 2000 . 15 August 2000 . dead.
  9. Web site: The Honorable Stephen K. Benjamin's Biography . 2023-02-27 . The HistoryMakers . en.
  10. Web site: February 4, 2021 . Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin won't run again, will focus on family, law firm . February 4, 2022 . wltx.com . en-US.
  11. News: Greene . Alexia . April 28, 2022 . "Former Columbia Mayor, Steve Benjamin, on the future of public safety in South Carolina" . Cola Daily . November 12, 2022.
  12. News: McConchie . Brian . October 26, 2021 . "Benjamin appointed to federal board" . WACH-TV . November 12, 2022.
  13. News: Fastenau . Stephen . April 3, 2022 . "Steve Benjamin's life after being Columbia's mayor: Harvard, new jobs and buying a mansion" . Post and Courier . November 12, 2022.
  14. News: Kinnard . Meg . December 1, 2020 . "South Carolina capital city mayor to head US diplomacy group" . WLTX-TV . November 12, 2022.
  15. News: Kurtz . Josh . June 3, 2022 . "Political Notes: Keiffer Mitchell Headed to K Street, Take a Dem Straw Poll, Green Group Anoints 'Climate Champions,' and More" . Maryland Matters . November 12, 2022.
  16. News: Bade . Rachael . March 8, 2022 . "POLITICO Playbook PM: Biden's warning to Americans: 'It's going to cost us as well'" . Politico . November 12, 2022.
  17. Web site: 2023-02-27 . President Biden Announces Former Mayor Stephen Benjamin as Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement . 2023-02-27 . The White House . en-US.
  18. Web site: Former South Carolina mayor replaces Bottoms at White House Office of Public Engagement . 2023-02-27 . MSN . en-US.
  19. Web site: Mayor Steve Benjamin // About Steve . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120610045015/http://www.stevebenjamin.com/about_steve/# . June 10, 2012 . February 26, 2012 . mdy-all.
  20. Web site: Richland County: Official Results . October 13, 2017 . February 4, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170204054745/http://columbiasc.gov/depts/elections/docs/11_5_2013_results_final.pdf . dead .
  21. Web site: City of Columbia Run-off: Official Results . October 13, 2017 . February 4, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170204054813/http://columbiasc.gov/depts/elections/docs/04_20_2010_election_results.pdf . dead .
  22. Web site: Richland County: Unofficial Results . October 13, 2017 . February 4, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170204054821/http://columbiasc.gov/depts/elections/docs/04_06_2010_election_results_by_precinct.pdf . dead .
  23. Web site: Steve Benjamin - the Root . May 18, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140518190212/http://www.theroot.com/articles/lists/2013/10/theroot_100/steve_benjamin.html# . May 18, 2014 . dead . mdy-all .
  24. Web site: Mayor Benjamin Awarded for Leadership During Thousand Year Flood. September 5, 2018.