ABOUT

Senator Greg Hembree is a Conservative Republican and represents the citizens of Horry and Dillon Counties in the South Carolina Senate. He now serves as the Chairman of the Senate Education. 

Greg received his B.B.A. in Economics from the University of Memphis in 1982 and his law degree from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1986, and has also been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.


Prior to serving in the State Senate, Greg served as the City Attorney for North Myrtle Beach from 1995-1999 before winning election as the 15th Circuit Solicitor for Horry and Georgetown Counties - a position he held for 14 years. In that office Greg prosecuted our community’s most dangerous criminals and brought innovative solutions to the criminal justice system. In 2012, Greg felt the call to run for the State Senate. He was elected with 67% of the vote and has been subsequently re-elected in 2016 and 2020. 

Greg received his B.B.A. in Economics from the University of Memphis in 1982 and his law degree from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1986, and has also been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.


Prior to serving in the State Senate, Greg served as the City Attorney for North Myrtle Beach from 1995-1999 before winning election as the 15th Circuit Solicitor for Horry and Georgetown Counties - a position he held for 14 years. In that office Greg prosecuted our community’s most dangerous criminals and brought innovative solutions to the criminal justice system. In 2012, Greg felt the call to run for the State Senate. He was elected with 67% of the vote and has been subsequently re-elected in 2016 and 2020. 

During his tenure in the State Senate, Greg has successfully worked on a number of critical issues for the state and district:

  • Greg lead the efforts in the Senate to provide a permanent Constitutional fix to the State’s Capital Punishment statute for the state’s most violent and dangerous offenders.

  • Greg sponsored, and passed bipartisan legislation to enhance accountability measures for public schools and public school districts so that state funds are best spent directly in the classroom on a child’s education.


  • As Chairman of Education, Greg has prioritized transparency and accountability for education administrators and elected board members. He has authored legislation to hold charter school board members and failing school districts accountable for their responsibilities to those they serve. 


  • Greg sponsored legislation to reduce and streamline the amount of paperwork and reporting requirements for teachers, schools and school districts to cut bureaucratic red tape and let teachers do what they want to do most…teach! The Act was unanimously passed in the House and Senate and is now law. 

  • Greg pushed successfully to pass highway safety initiatives related to the unsafe operation of motor scooters and mopeds on public highways. South Carolina was #1 in the nation for highway related deaths. As a result of Greg’s work, along with other highway safety bills he supported, South Carolina has steadily improved its highway safety rankings year-over-year. 


  • Greg has introduced legislation to eliminate taxes for retired military and first responder members, strengthen our public schools, increase teacher pay, provide educational scholarships to students of low economic means, at underperforming school districts and those with disabilities and special needs, provide for penalties for crimes against law enforcement officers, and more. 


  • Greg is an avid outdoorsman and has introduced and co-sponsored legislation to preserve our natural resources, protect wildlife and the coast’s beautiful beaches. 


  • On the Senate Finance Committee Greg has helped lead a bipartisan effort to raise starting teachers salaries by over thirty percent in the past few years. We are paying are teachers more than we have ever paid them, and are competitive with teacher salaries in our region. Additionally, he has successfully fought to keep our best teachers by restoring the salary supplement for Nationally Board Certified teachers.


  • Greg has called on his experience as a career prosecutor to sponsor and pass legislation to strengthen our domestic violence laws, pass common sense gun legislation, support and build a stronger law enforcement community, and overall make South Carolina a safer state.


In the Senate, Greg serves on the following committees: Education (Chairman), Transportation, Finance, Corrections and Penology, and Rules. Senator Hembree focuses his efforts on improving public safety and education, and maintaining a fair and ethical system of state government. He also has served as a majority whip and was elected Chairman of the 2013 Senate Freshman Caucus by his fellow freshmen Senators.


Greg and his wife Renee have three grown children that are married and five grandchildren that live in Horry County. Greg and Renee reside in Little River and are active members of Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church. In his spare time Greg likes to enjoy the natural beauty of South Carolina by camping, hunting, hiking and biking. He is an avid triathlete and has been racing for many years.

In the Senate, Greg serves on the following committees: Education (Chairman), Transportation, Finance, Corrections and Penology, and Rules. Senator Hembree focuses his efforts on improving public safety and education, and maintaining a fair and ethical system of state government. He also has served as a majority whip and was elected Chairman of the 2013 Senate Freshman Caucus by his fellow freshmen Senators.


Greg and his wife Renee have three grown children that are married and five grandchildren that live in Horry County. Greg and Renee reside in Little River and are active members of Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church. In his spare time Greg likes to enjoy the natural beauty of South Carolina by camping, hunting, hiking and biking. He is an avid triathlete and has been racing for many years.

Memberships and Accomplishments

  • South Carolina representative to the National District Attorneys Association, 2009-12


  • South Carolina Law Enforcement Victim Advocates Solicitor of the Year Award, 2009



  • South Carolina Republican Party Local Official Award, 2009
  • Grand Strand Running Club Charter Member



  • Waccamaw American Leadership Forum Charter Member


  • Col. Lemuel Benton Chapter of Sons of the American Revolution President, 2006-07

To learn more about legislation that Senator Hembree has sponsored, click here.