Alvin Michael Greene, a Manning native who briefly became one of the most talked-about political figures in the country after his unexpected victory in South Carolina’s 2010 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, died March 3 at McLeod Health Clarendon. He was 48.
According to his family, Greene died after suffering from pneumonia. Funeral services were held March 6 in Kingstree.
Born Aug. 31, 1977, in Florence, Greene was the son of the late James S. Greene Sr. and Claudette Lawson Greene. He grew up in Manning, where he attended Manning High School and graduated in 1995. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of South Carolina.
Greene also served in the U.S. military for more than a decade. His service included time with the South Carolina Air National Guard, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army, including a deployment to Korea. After leaving the military, he returned to Manning, where he lived a quieter life while remaining interested in politics and current events.
Greene became a national political curiosity in June 2010 after winning the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in South Carolina, defeating former Charleston County judge Vic Rawl despite running what many observers described as a virtually nonexistent campaign.
At the time, Greene was unemployed and living in Manning when he used $10,440 of his own savings to pay the candidate filing fee to enter the race. His campaign lacked many of the typical features of a statewide political effort — no staff, no formal campaign organization and little public outreach.
Still, Greene stunned the state’s political establishment, winning the Democratic nomination with roughly 60 percent of the vote and carrying the majority of counties across South Carolina.
The victory immediately drew national and international media attention. Reporters from major outlets, including national television networks and newspapers such as The Washington Post and The New York Times, traveled to Clarendon County to learn more about the previously unknown candidate.
In a 2010 interview with The Manning Times, Greene said the idea to run for office had first come to him while he was stationed in Korea.
“I was watching the country decline,” Greene said at the time. “I wanted to make it better.”
His campaign centered on three issues he frequently repeated in interviews — jobs, education and justice — and he often used the slogan, “Let’s get South Carolina back to work.”
Greene’s unexpected victory sparked widespread speculation about how the political newcomer had prevailed in the primary. Some observers suggested the alphabetical placement of his name on the ballot may have helped, while others raised questions about voter confusion in a low-turnout election.
The South Carolina Democratic Party later held a hearing to review the results but ultimately declined to order a new primary.
Greene went on to face incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint in the November 2010 general election. DeMint won reelection by a wide margin.
Despite the loss, Greene’s brief time in the political spotlight generated widespread discussion and media coverage. His candidacy even inspired a documentary titled Who is Alvin Greene? and a comic book portraying him as a fictional “Ultimate Warrior,” according to reporting by The Post and Courier.
In a 2018 interview with that newspaper, Greene reflected on the unusual experience of his unexpected rise to national attention.
“I was the most-covered candidate in the world that election year,” Greene said.
Greene remained largely out of the public eye in the years that followed, though he made occasional attempts to run for office again and continued to express interest in politics.
Family members say Greene will be remembered not only for his unusual political moment but also for his faith and connection to the community. He was a lifelong member of Providence A.M.E. Church in Manning.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Timmy B. Greene.
He is survived by his brother, James S. Greene Jr. of Manning, along with extended family members and friends.
