Representative Bill Taylor

Bill Taylor was born on July 16, 1946, in Aurora, Illinois, and currently resides in Aiken, South Carolina. He is a member of the Republican Party and has represented South Carolina House District 86 since his election in 2010. District 86 encompasses portions of Aiken and Lexington Counties and covers nearly two-thirds of Aiken County with a population exceeding 42,000.

Taylor comes from a professional background in media and broadcasting. He worked as a television reporter, producer, anchorman, and news director before transitioning to entrepreneurship. For more than three decades, he served as a media consultant and critic, co-founding a media consulting firm that expanded into a family of companies operating across Dallas, Los Angeles, and London. He advised broadcast and cable networks, Hollywood studios, local television stations, newspapers, and web developers.

Beyond his state service, Taylor served as a consultant to the George H.W. Bush White House during 1991-1992 as part of the Point of Light Initiative.

Education

Taylor attended Bradley University, where he studied journalism.

Political Experience

Taylor first ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2010, defeating incumbent James Stewart Jr. in the Republican primary on June 8, 2010. He went on to win the general election in the safe Republican district and has been re-elected since.

Throughout his tenure in the State House, Taylor has held several significant leadership positions:

• Chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee , overseeing the budgets of South Carolina's public colleges and universities
• Majority Caucus Whip
• Member of the House Ways & Means Committee
• Member of the Tax Subcommittee
• Former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education
• Former Member of the House Legislative Oversight Committee
• Service on the House Education Committee for a decade

Taylor has received recognition for his work, including the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce "Business Advocate Award" multiple times and was named a "Fifth Estater" by Broadcast and Cable Magazine in 1998. He has championed legislation addressing distracted driving.