Current U.S. Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina's 2nd congressional district was a partner with this firm prior to his election to Congress to succeed Floyd Spence.
[9] On May 20, 2009, Thomas voted [10] to force Governor Mark Sanford to take the ARRA funds, or the federal stimulus, and use the one time money for reoccurring needs.
Thomas was one of the first conservative Republican state senators to call for the resignation or impeachment of Governor Mark Sanford.
[19] On June 6, 2009, Thomas announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives, challenging incumbent Bob Inglis in the Republican primary for the 4th District.
Inglis had been one of the most conservative members of the House when he represented the district from 1993 to 1999, but his voting record since his return to Congress in 2005 has been considerably more moderate.
South Carolina state senators serve four-year terms coinciding with presidential elections, and Thomas was not up for re-election until 2012.
Thomas elected to take a yearly lifelong payout of $32,390 in deferred pay from the General Assembly Retirement System rather than his $10,400 salary.