Faith, family and hard work have informed Ashley Cooper’s life. Born and raised in the Lowcountry, his parents supported their family of six children with their own small business. He is a proud husband and father of two, who is running for Lt. Governor because he wants South Carolina to be one of the best states in America to live, work, and raise a family.

A New Direction for South Carolina

Now running for Lieutenant Governor, Ashley Cooper has the vision and values to lead South Carolina in the right direction. Ashley is not a career politician – in fact, this is his first run for public office. Ashley believes that we need more leaders serving in public office who come from the private sector and are committed to South Carolina, not politicians who are working for special interests.

As our next Lieutenant Governor, Ashley will fight to bring new, good paying jobs to our state, focus on improving our education system, and help rebuild our state by putting people ahead of partisan politics.

A Tradition of Service

Ashley learned a lot about service and hard work from his father. After graduating from The Citadel, his father, Bill Cooper, a native of Conway, SC, volunteered to serve our country in the Korean War.

After returning from Korea, his father and grandfather opened Southeastern Galleries, a Charleston furniture store that Ashley worked at during summer and holiday breaks. The store is still open today and has employed three generations of Ashley’s family.

South Carolina Roots

Ashley is proud of his South Carolina roots. He received his undergraduate degree from Clemson and his law degree from the University of South Carolina. He began his law practice in Greenville.

After practicing law for several years, Ashley went to work for one of South Carolina's leading statesmen, U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings, serving as Legislative Director and Counsel. It was during his tenure with Senator Hollings that Ashley was afforded the opportunity to travel around our state and meet with South Carolinians about the challenges facing our state. Ashley was involved with local issues ranging from improving security at the Port of Charleston; to addressing state law enforcement needs; to working with our technical schools and our state higher education institutions

Ashley and his wife, Hartley returned home to South Carolina to start a family. They are raising daughter Caroline and son John in Charleston, where the Cooper family attends Stella Maris church. Ashley is also a Board member of MUSC Children’s Hospital and the South Carolina Arts Foundation.

Ashley currently practices energy law and has a deep understanding of energy policy at the state and federal level. His experience will help him move South Carolina ahead in the new energy  revolution and the jobs and long-term stability this new industry can provide. Ashley also spent time as Chief Compliance Officer for SCANA Corporation, a South Carolina-based Fortune 500 energy company that is one of the state’s largest employers. Ashley has valuable management experience and understands how to make processes run effectively and efficiently.