The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • AA3

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Attorney, then as the U.S. Attorney for the state, and for the past nearly eight years as the 13th Circuit solicitor, serving Greenville and Pickens counties. And he looks forward to the possibility of becoming the lieutenant governor to run on the same ticket as the candidate for governor, after agreeing to join Republican Catherine Templeton in her bid for the highest Although his political experience is limited to two unchallenged campaigns for solicitor with a third still in the his lastname is almost synonymous with politics in this area. Not only was his father an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, but his uncle, David Wilkins, was one of the dominant forces in state politics for 11 years as Speaker of the House. Templeton, a Lowcountry attorney and former state agency head, chose a running mate whose name could have some clout in the GOP stronghold, said Furman University political scientist Danielle Vinson.

But Vinson said she know much about the 44-year-old prosecutor and sure how much he adds to the ticket, politically, statewide. in the Upstate certainly it (the Wilkins name) is she said. have no idea what the situa- tion is in other parts of the Templeton tags herself as conservative so choosing a member of a political dynasty as a run- ning mate may seem counter to that. But Walt Wilkins renounces any suggestion that an insider. have never run for any other than solicitor, I have never run for any that has sent me to Co- he pointed out.

Neither his father nor his uncle see him as necessar- ily following in their footsteps. his own his father said. have frank discussions about issues. He hesitate to tell me, I respect your position but going to follow another And I respect that in him. His uncle may be the one Wilkins who be vot- ing for the candidate who would put his nephew in the No.

2 spot. David Wilkins contributed $2,000 to incumbent Henry campaign long before his nephew came into the picture. known Henry McMaster for over 40 years and I consider him a good friend. So yeah, I have supported of him from the get said the former Speaker of the House, who also served as ambassador to Canada in the George W. Bush administration.

Asked whether his entry into the race would sway his support, David Wilkins responded, just put it like this: I wish Walt all the best. I have always supported Walt when he ran for solicitor, and obviously, on the ballot now for solicitor, and if he ends up having opposition, support him for that, too. and I have discussed this and he knows where I stand. In Walt mind, not what his name may add to the Templeton campaign that matters but what he has to because of his experience. is someone who understands how to make government work for the people.

And more of a crime take on he said. taken on plenty of corrupt politicians, gangs, violent crimi- nals, and with that package deal we feel like we com- plement each other very Since the change in the law about how the lieuten- ant governor is elected removed the respon- sibility for overseeing the state on Aging, the job description is left to the discretion. Wilkins said Templeton would ask him to oversee the State Law Enforcement Division, the Department of Public Safety and other law enforcement and judicial func- tions of state government. But he said, imagine not going to be pigeon- holed into those as The fresh-faced prosecutor has been hard-nosed on crime, said Brown. looks like still wet behind his ears, Brown quipped.

looks young. Of course, obviously, looks will de- ceive said the former long-time Brown took over to the remainder of the term of Will Lewis, who was suspended after being indicted on on charges of misconduct in and obstruction of justice. Lewis has pleaded not guilty. only thing I can say for sure (about Walt Wil- kins) is that from good stock and he should be suc- cessful in whatever he wants to do with the rest of his life, whether lieutenant governor or whether running for governor or staying as solicitor. Brown recalls Billy Wilkins bringing his young son into the courtroom to witness trials when the elder Wilkins had the job his son now holds.

It was a continuation of a tradition that went back to the previous generation, when William Walter Wilkins brought his son Billy into the court- room to watch him try cases. Walt Wilkins, who is actually William Walter Wil- kins III, grew up in the Parkins Mill neighborhood of Greenville and attended Sara Collins Elementary, the old Beck Middle School and his freshman year of high school at J.L. Mann before at Christ Church Episcopal School. He was just seven years old when his dad was ap- pointed judge of U.S. District Court for South Carolina in 1981.

Even when his father took on the role at the 4th Circuit Court in Richmond, Virginia, the Wilkins fam- ily continued to live in Greenville, with Billy Wilkins commuting when court was in session. and I spent many, many hours, days even, when he was a little boy in the woods, hunting and and so Billy Wilkins said. grown up with an appreciation for the outdoors and our environ- ment and those types of things that I think are impor- He described his son as devoted wish I had taken the time to spend as much time as he spends with his he said. take away from his duties at work, but every spare mo- ment he has, at baseball practice or at dance prac- tice or on the tennis court with the kids, and I think that speaks well for him, and his wife as Walt Wilkins has three children, ages 7, 9 and 11 one of them being William Walter Wilkins IV. He grew up in First Baptist Church but the family now attends Westminster Presbyterian, a move, he said, that was largely related to his friendships.

After graduating from Christ Church in 1992, he went to College, where he earned two bache- degrees one in government and the other Span- ish, which he tested well enough in to be exempt from many of the lower level courses. During his time at he spent six months studying in Spain at the University of Salamanca, where he says he sat in the same seat once used by the 16th century explorer Hernando He graduated from in 1996 and went straight to law school at the University of South Caroli- na, where he earned his law degree in 1999. He move directly into the same of law as his father and grandfather. He took a job with Lock- heed Martin in Argentina. He said he to pretty much start from living in a foreign country where he knew no one and had no family support.

Although he en- his time in Argentina, after a year he was a job with the Greenville law of Leatherwood, Walker, Todd and Mann. About a week after returning to Greenville, he met the woman who would become his wife. They were married in Charleston on July 12, 2003. The next day, they boarded a chartered 10-passenger Cessna bound for Abaco Island, in a remote section of the Bahamas where they expected to spend their hon- eymoon. Things work out quite like they planned.

About 50 minutes into what was supposed to be an hour-long the right engine blew up, knocking a hole in the plane. The island hopper, which had been at 15,000 feet, crashed into the ocean 10 minutes later. we had about 10 minutes to say goodbye, not knowing what was going to happen. Myself and the other families prayed with each other. We told each other we were going to be OK.

I told my wife I loved her, and we held each The passengers, including three young children, made it out of the plane, but the mother of two of the children soon died, as did her niece, the youngest of the kids. Wilkins and his wife Donyelle managed to the lifejackets for two of the children and stayed with them, while the other passengers drifted apart. He said his wife the real for how she took care of those children. were becoming lethargic, hypothermic. And she would sing Loves She would keep them entertained and their minds what was going he said.

After about two hours, a Coast Guard helicopter ar- rived, and they were rescued. The crisis strengthened their faith in God, Wilkins said. both agree and you explain it but we felt somebody there with us protecting us from the time of the crash through the entire ordeal, that we were not alone, that we were being comforted by a much more powerful being than he said. Although they struggled with why such a bad thing happened, Wilkins said, it made us realize what was important in Two years later, he was appointed Assistant U.S. At- torney.

After three years in that job, he was promoted to the top U.S. Attorney post for the state. He was elect- ed to his term as solicitor in 2010. If the Templeton campaign is successful in the June 12 primary and goes on to win in November, Wilkins would have to take nearly a $100,000 cut in pay to as- sume the part-time job of lieutenant governor. making $141,354 now, and the lieutenant governor po- sition pays $46,545.

Wilkins said he would open a law and practice law on the side. But he added, imagine I will be giving a lot more than just part-time to this In the meantime, there is the quandary over the 13th Circuit solicitor Wilkins to run for re-election before accepting but he said he could withdraw his name if Templeton wins the primary, before the ballots are printed. McMaster, who was appointed to the remainder of Nikki second term after President Donald Trump named her ambassador to the United Nations, has the endorsement. Wilkins donated $2,700 to Marco Rubio for his presidential bid in 2016. The list of donors reads like a who in the legal profession, including Aiken County prosecutor Strom Thurmond former U.S.

Attorney Bart Daniel, Charleston Gedney Howe, and even former prosecutor Dick Harpootlian, a past chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party. respected. His family is respected. done a good job as Harpootlian said. He thinks Templeton made a good choice, but he be voting for her.

a blind hog occasionally an he said. Another Democrat, former Gov. Dick Riley, is supporting (Democrat) James for governor, but said of Wilkins, have a lot of respect for him and I think done a grand job as In the GOP primary, Templeton is up against McMaster; Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant of Anderson, Green- ville businessman John Warren; and former Lt.

Gov. Yancey McGill of Kingstree. McMaster picked an Up- state running mate as well: Travelers Rest business- woman Pamela Evette. Warren chose Charleston busi- nessman Pat McKinney. Bryant and McGill have not announced a second person on their ticket.

That have to be done until August. Wilkins chafed at the suggestion that running for two at the same time. campaign spokeswoman Laura Beth Kirsop said Wilkins would be running taxpayer-subsidized for lieu- tenant governor while neglecting his duties as solici- tor. been alleged that running for two jobs and that is just absolutely not Wilkins said. show me a ballot where my name is on there for two jobs then you let me know, because it does not The lieutenant name on the primary ballot.

I am 100 percent committed to being the solicitor and have been for the past seven he said. Wilkins is separating the two roles, to the point that he asked that his interview with The News be moved from his to a nearby hallway in the courthouse public before he would answer political questions. If Wilkins withdraws his candidacy for solicitor, a special primary will be held for the post. Wilkins Continued from Page 1AA Walt Wilkins served as an assistant U.S. Attorney, then as the U.S.

Attorney for the state, and for the past nearly eight years as the 13th Circuit solicitor, serving Greenville and Pickens counties. LAUREN.