William E. “Bill” Sandifer, III serves as the representative 
for the South Carolina House of Representatives District 2. Serving the people of Oconee County since 1994, he was part of the historic sweep that brought the first Republican majority to the House since the days of Reconstruction. Rep. Sandifer has earned a reputation for being an experienced, dedicated conservative who shapes public policy focused on job creation and economic growth, high-quality education, efficient government, and strong families.
Rep. Sandifer was born on February 21, 1945 in Aiken, S.C. to the late Frances Harley Sandifer and the late and former two term mayor of Seneca William Edward Sandifer, Jr. Moving to Seneca in 1959, he graduated from Seneca High School and then earned a degree from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. Following graduation, he moved back to Seneca where he began his career as owner and operator of Seneca Mortuary.
Sandifer currently serves as chairman of the SC House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee (LCI), as vice chairman of the Public Utility Review Committee, and on the Review and Oversight Commission on the State Ports Authority. He is also the South Carolina legislator appointed to the Southern States Energy Board, a 50 year-old organization that works to promote economic development and enhance quality of life through innovations in energy and environmental policy. In his early years in the House, he was appointed chief majority whip for two consecutive House majority leaders.
Rep. Sandifer is active in community and civic affairs. He has served as chairman of the board for Oconee Memorial Hospital, Fort Hill Natural Gas Authority and the Oconee United Way. Currently, he serves on the board of Seneca National Bank and is a member of the Seneca Foothills Elks Lodge #2822. He is past president of the Greater Seneca Chamber of Commerce, Past master of the Seneca Masonic Lodge, and Past worthy patron of the Seneca chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. Sandifer also is a mem
ber of the American Legion Charles McGee Byrd Post 120. In 1981, former South Carolina Governor James Edwards appointed Rep. Sandifer as his representative on the State Board of Funeral Service.
Sandifer served his country for 20 years in the S.C. Army National Guard, retiring as a major. Rep. Sandifer is married to the former Sandra Prater of Townville and is the proud father of four children and four grandchildren. A member of St. Mark United Methodist Church, he lives in Seneca with his wife.