Sheheen served as a city prosecutor before being elected to public office and was named, "Legislator of the Year" by the South Carolina Solicitor's Association for his work on behalf of law enforcement.

On June 8, 2010, Sheheen won the primary over State Superintendent Jim Rex, and was the party's nominee for governor in the November general election.

He lost in the general election to the Republican party's nominee, State Representative Nikki Haley, by a margin 51% to 47%.

H4453 – Revising Life Expectancy Tables H4575 – Requiring Notice of Rule to Show Cause to be served in Family Court cases H4132 – Creating Lake Wateree Marine Commission H3528 – Creating fetal death certificates upon request of parent S596 – Allowing generation of electronic traffic tickets in South Carolina S680 – Allowing automatic dispensing of fuel at gas stations in South Carolina S800 – Increasing fines for failure to restrain children in motor vehicles S1163 – Restricting successor asbestos-related liability for innocent purchasers S1346 – Requiring notice to the public before construction of sludge storage facilities S96 – Banning the sale of aerosol machines to liquefy and inhale alcoholic beverages S99 – Requiring the State Election Commission to conduct Presidential Primaries in S.C. S549 – Creating the Jessica Horton Act to require SLED to investigate campus deaths S577 – Increasing fines for assault and battery against sports officials S126 – Reforming laws regulating handicap parking and stopping abuse S134 – Protecting students in exercise of religious freedom at public schools S629 – Adjusting dates for teacher contracts S459 – Banning texting while driving in South Carolina S426 – Creating mental health courts in South Carolina S980 – Reforming veterinary regulations and small animal laws S1233 – Adjusting counties' abilities to issue capital improvements sales and use taxes S173 – Requiring mental health crisis training for law enforcement officers S302 – Allowing marching band credits to meet required physical education mandates S567 – Allowing high speed go cart racing in South Carolina S796 – Creating the Sestercentennial Commission to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the USA Honors to Sheheen include: Legislator of Year; National Alliance on Mental Health Illness, 2017[15] Legislator of Year; S.C. African American History Comm., 2017[16] 12 State Legislators to Watch; Governing Magazine, 2012[17] Green Tie Award; Conservation Voters of S.C., 2011[18] In 2014, Sheheen spent months touring the state and speaking to thousands of citizens.

Because of the growing divide he saw and experienced, Sheheen made retiring of the Flag from the State House grounds a centerpiece of his campaign for governor.

[19] Not long thereafter, Sheheen's seatmate in the Senate, Pastor Clementa Pinckney, was murdered in the Charleston massacre by a Confederate flag-wielding white supremacist.

Although mourning the death of his friend, Sheheen quickly renewed his call for removal of the flag pushing other leaders in the state to do the same.

Sheheen worked tirelessly to bring Republican and Democratic leaders together to pass his Restructuring Act, and it became law in February 2014.

[23] For years, leaders in South Carolina faced accusations of "waste, fraud, and abuse" in state government.

[25] Working with Republican and Democratic co-sponsors and allies, the bill became law in 2012, and the Office of Inspector General has investigated and brought to light scores of problems in state government during the last seven years.

As a result, South Carolina's public pensions are on much firmer footing, paying down outstanding debt, reducing the long term amortization period, and investing more wisely for the future.

South Carolina's state-funded, full-day kindergarten was created in 2006 as a result of the Abbeville lawsuit, covering only 3,241 students in poverty at a cost of $23 million.

In 2014, Sheheen built a coalition with the Majority Leader, Senator Harvey Peeler, to expand 4K and codify it into permanent law.

Many in South Carolina said this state of affairs would not change, but in 2017, President Pro Tem of the Senate, Hugh Leatherman, tasked Sheheen with leading a committee to push through a road funding bill.

Working closely with House Speaker Jay Lucas, Sheheen pushed through the bill with enough votes to override a veto from the governor.