David Horton Wilkins (born October 12, 1946) is an American attorney and a former United States Ambassador to Canada during the administration of President George W. Bush.

In his 25 years in the state legislature, Wilkins played a role in major reform legislation including South Carolina's ethics bill and the Education Accountability Act.

Throughout his legislative career, Wilkins received numerous awards including the 2004 Excellence in State Legislative Leadership Award from the National Conference of State Legislatures which cited his steadfast position for relocating the Confederate flag and his refusal to cancel a national conference in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

He was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2002.

[2] He was nominated by President Bush for the post of United States Ambassador to Canada on April 27, 2005, and the Senate confirmed him by voice vote on May 26, 2005.

In addition to the softwood lumber dispute, Wilkins addressed a number of other issues including the Northwest Passage, Rendition, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and Canada's role in Afghanistan.

[6] In February 2009, Wilkins became a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP and chairs the Public Policy and International Law practice group, which focuses primarily on representing businesses on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.