Isle of Palms Spring 2016

kept – but his wife and children only made it through

the first term. After two years, they moved back to their

home in Wild Dunes, and, during the rest of his time

in Congress, Hartnett rented a small apartment within

walking distance of the Capitol and flew home on week-

ends.

“It’s not a very family-oriented profession,” explained

Hartnett.

As promised, Hartnett limited himself to three terms

in Congress, returning to South Carolina and running

for lieutenant governor in 1986. He narrowly lost that

race to Democrat Nick Theodore.

Hartnett made one more run for office, this time for

the U.S. Senate against fellow Isle of Palms resident Fritz

Hollings.

“That was a wonderful race. I had more fun in doing

that than any other political thing I’ve ever done, even

though I lost it,” recalled Hartnett. “Nobody thought I

could win – and I proved that they were right – but if I

had a little more help financially I could have. I lost that

race by less than 1 percent statewide. I got more votes for

the Senate in South Carolina and lost than anybody had

ever gotten to that point and won. The turnout was huge.”

Some might find it awkward to lose such a close elec-

tion and then have to live in the same neighborhood as

your opponent, but Tommy Hartnett isn’t one of those

people. Hartnett and Hollings have a long history, and

one election, no matter how contentious it seemed, was

unlikely to cause a permanent rift.

In fact, Hartnett’s first political activity was volun-

teering for Hollings’ unsuccessful attempt to win a seat

in the U.S. Senate in 1962. Two years later, Hollings

was among the first to contribute to Hartnett’s run for

the Statehouse. Hollings was at Hartnett’s wedding, and

Hartnett helped Hollings’ daughters get jobs as pages in

the State Legislature.

“We’ve stayed friendly, and that’s the way it should be

with Democrats and Republicans,” said Hartnett.

Anyone who’s retired from public service after so

many years is bound to have regrets about things not ac-

complished, and Hartnett is no different.

“I was offered the assistant secretary of the Army.

I turned it down and I regret that,” recalled Hartnett.

“And then I was offered the chairmanship of the Federal

Bonnie and Tommy Hartnett greet President George Herbert Walker Bush.

Photo provided by Tommy Hartnett.