Veteran for State House

Colonel Hightower has dedicated his life to serving our country. In the U.S. Army he provided medical care to wounded soldiers and coordinated the Army’s medical operations in response to natural disasters at home and abroad. Now he’s running to represent Lexington County in the State House to fight for our veterans, improve public education, and support small businesses.

Colonel Hightower is a South Carolina native. A proud alum of South Carolina State University, he was commissioned as a Medical Corps Service Officer after graduating in 1977. Chuck also holds degrees from Troy State University and the Army War College.

For 30 years, Chuck served his country with distinction. He served as the Director of Health Care Operations for the Army Medical Department and Army Surgeon General. He was in charge of re-engineering the Army’s Medical Department in the 1990s. He commanded a medical brigade of 6,000 troops during the initial phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom. And he coordinated the medical support plan for the Army’s response to Hurricane Katrina.

Chuck is a recipient of two Bronze Stars, seven Meritorious Service Medals and five Legions of Merit. He retired as a colonel in 2007.

Chuck never forgot where he came from. At Fort Jackson, he helped establish the Warrior Transition Unit for soldiers and their families. He also served as the Chief Operations Officer at Moncrief Army Community Hospital at Fort Jackson.

A strong supporter of education, Chuck continued to serve his community after retiring from the military, teaching at Webster University in Columbia where he was named “Professor of the Year” three times. He is also the director of the Scooter Scott Project, a GED program serving residents in Lexington County.

Chuck lives in Lexington with his wife Deborah, who served as an educator in Lexington School District 2 for over a decade, and their three children. Chuck is running for the State House because he believes we need more servant leaders in Columbia who will work to solve the complex problems facing our state - like education and growth.