Chip Huggins

{{Short description|American politician}}

{{BLP sources|date=November 2009}}

{{infobox officeholder

|name=Chip Huggins

|state_house=South Carolina

|district=85th

|term_start=1999

|term_end=November 14, 2022

|predecessor=André Bauer

|successor=Jay Kilmartin

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1961|11|30}}

|birth_place=Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.

|party=Republican

|spouse={{marriage|Ginger E. Gilstrap|1988}}

|children=2

|alma_mater=Winthrop University

|profession=Politician

}}

"Chip" Huggins (born November 30, 1961, in Columbia, South Carolina) is a Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He has represented his Lexington County district (the 85th) since being elected in 1999 to succeed André Bauer.

Huggins graduated from Winthrop University in 1987, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He married Ginger E. Gilstrap in 1988 and has two children.[http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=15249 VoteSmart bio of Huggins]

Huggins defeated Richard Eckstrom to win his first election in 1999.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/194702739/?terms=richard%2Beckstrom |title=6 Aug 1999, Page 45 - The Greenville News at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=1999-08-06 |accessdate=2022-06-05}} He generally runs unopposed, and in 2008 when opposed by Democrat Jim Nelson won 13,122 votes (69.43% of the total) to Nelson's 5,769 (30.52%).[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=22768 OurCampaigns: Huggins, Chip]

Huggins was opposed by Democrat Sam Edwards in the 2018 midterm election.[https://www.free-times.com/news/local-and-state-news/lexington-democratic-candidate-not-alone-in-her-opposition/article_23c18e52-3764-11e8-92d7-8b3e84ae1470.html Sam Edwards interviewed by Free Times] Edwards received 6,273 votes (33.93%) to Huggins's 12,206 (66.01%).[https://www.enr-scvotes.org/SC/92124/Web02-state.220747/#/cid/28170 Election night reporting]