About Bruce

Bruce Bannister

Father. Husband. Attorney. Public Servant. Leader.

Bruce Wyche Bannister is a partner of Bannister, Wyatt, & Stalvey, LLC and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Mr. Bannister graduated from Davidson College in 1995 and went on to earn his law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1998.

Admitted to the practice of law in South Carolina in 1998, Mr. Bannister was elected as the SC House District 24 Representative in 2005. He currently serves as Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Mr. Bannister was elected by his peers to serve as the Majority leader for the SC House Republican Caucus from 2012-2016. He also serves as the Chairman of the South Carolina Bar Lawyer Legislator task force.

Mr. Bannister is a lifelong resident of Greenville, where he serves as a member of the Wig and Robe, Greenville County Young Lawyers, South Carolina Bar, and the Better Business Bureau. He is a LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated lawyer, and has also taught as an adjunct professor at Greenville Technical College. He also holds previous experience as a law clerk to the Honorable Larry R. Patterson, Circuit Court Judge.

As an active member within the community, Mr. Bannister is a graduate of Leadership Greenville Class XXVI and a member of Liberty Fellowship’s Class of 2014. He previously served as a board member for the Children’s Museum of the Upstate and the Andrews Society of Greenville. He is a past Board Member for the Greenville Peace Center and a Child’s Haven. In 2011, Mr. Bannister received the Children’s Hospital Legislative Advocacy Award for his efforts on behalf of the SC Institute for Child Success.

Bruce's Legislative History

Bruce was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives from District 24. He was elected in a special election to replace departing House Speaker David Wilkins (R).

2005

The House Republican Caucus elects Bruce Bannister as the Assistant Majority Leader.

2008

The House Republican Caucus elects Bruce to be the House Majority Leader. He is the sixth Republican to serve as the majority leader since the Caucus was formed in 1975 and the Republicans took control of the House in 1994.

2012

After being term-limited as the Majority Leader, Bruce is elected as Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee. This committee is tasked with legislating all of South Carolina’s financial affairs: taxing and spending, and crafting the annual state budget.