Biography:

James W. DeMint was born in and resides in Greenville, S.C. He graduated from Clemson University and the University of Tennessee. He is the president of The DeMint Group, a marketing research firm. DeMint was a Republican precinct president in Rock Hill, S.C. He was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998.

DeMint will not seek another term in the House and is instead running to replace retiring Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings.

DeMint and his wife, Debbie Henderson, have four children.

Past Campaigns:

The 1998 run for the 4th District U.S. House seat was Jim DeMint's first political campaign. He was elected to the seat vacated by Republican Bob Inglis, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate. DeMint defeated Democrat Glenn Reese with 58 percent of the vote.

In 2000, he was re-elected with 80 percent of the vote.

He was re-elected in 2002 with 69 percent of the vote.

In the 2004 elections, DeMint gives up his House seat to honor his term limit pledge and is running for retiring Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings' seat.

In the June 2004 GOP primary, DeMint narrowly placed second in a crowded field, earning a spot in a runoff against former Gov. David Beasley. DeMint won the runoff, winning 59 percent of the vote to Beasley's 41 percent.

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