Sen. Nikki Setzler was the guest of honor at the Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber Breakfast, Tuesday, held at Stone River in West Columbia. 

Setzler, a West Columbia attorney, is leaving the SC Senate after 48 years. He has been recognized as the longest-serving senator in South Carolina’s history, with plans to place his portrait in the Senate Chamber.

At one time during the tribute, as he recalled the years of his upbringing and of his career, Setzler became choked with emotion. 

“We don’t represent parties. We represent people,” Setzler said to the group of mostly small and local business owners. 

Estimates cited by CWC Chamber President and CEO Tim James are that Setzler has helped procure $50 million in the last 4 or 5 years for projects in and around Cayce-West Columbia and Lexington County. State funds have gone to local parks, infrastructure, road projects, Riverwalk, and an all-sports facility may be coming.  

Some interesting facts emerged about the life of Sen. Nikki Setzler.  James opened the tribute to Setzler by noting that Setzler has been named “Citizen of the Year” by the Chamber three times, under three different Chamber leaders. 

Also of note: Setzler and his wife Ada Jane Taylor Setzler have been married for 55 years.  Danny Scott, who attended the tribute, has been Seltzer’s law partner for 48 years. “We’re like brothers,” Setzler said Tuesday. 

Setzler pledged to put his family first and serve his community before he ever was elected to the senate, in 1976. “He has honored both of those commitments,” said James. 

Setzler is a Brookland-Cayce High School graduate, where he was BC’s first male cheerleader. Setzler began to develop his work ethic at age 8, when he was a curb boy at Ed’s Drive-Thru on Meeting Street. His family’s business for 44 years and an icon in the community. 

“Nikki Setzler understands small business,” James said, referring to Setzler’s years of working at Ed’s Drive-Thru.

The family lived behind the drive-thru and later moved to a house on The Avenues in Cayce. Setzler’s father’s name was Earl, but people called him Ed, Setzler said. Ed’s Drive-Thru was the home of the Ranch Burger and Bebop shakes. 

Setzler said, when he worked at Ed’s, he would memorize all the orders he took, and he had to remember which car he took the order from.

 Setzler went to the University of South Carolina where he met Ada Jane Taylor. The two were married in 1969. They have four daughters: Tara Nikole, Jamie Leona, Sabra Taylor, and Amber Jane.

After he completed law school at USC, Setzler and Ada Jane were living in Columbia. But one day Setzler told his wife: ” I want to go back home where I know everyone.”

And the couple moved to Westover Acres in West Columbia where they lived for 39 years. They now live in Congaree Park on the Congaree River. 

“Never forget where you came from,” Setzler said. 

One of Seltzer’s most lasting memories in the Senate was of Clementa Pinckney, the pastor of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was among the nine people who were killed in the church in a shooting rampage in 2015 by Dylan Roof, who claimed to be a white supremacist. 

Setzler said he sat in a committee meeting with Pinckney the day he was killed. He said former Sen. Joel Lourie, who was in attendance Tuesday, helped pull the Senate together to honor Pinckney. He also said he will never forget the massive crowds that lined the streets in Charleston for Pinckney’s funeral.

Setzler said that in the aftermath of the Mother Emanuel shooting, the Confederate flag was removed from the State House grounds. Other efforts by Setzler as a senator have involved his passion for public education. Ada Jane was a teacher and so are two of his daughters.

“We have improved education and helped teachers,” Setzler said. “We have 4-year-old kindergarten, we’ve raised teacher salaries, and we’ve reduced class size.”

He said economic development and education are tied together. And industries and jobs have been attracted to Lexington County in his years, including Nephron, Amazon and Michelin, by the work of the legislature.

Setzler said through his political career, he has never wanted fortune or fame, but his family has been his priority. The walls of his Senate office are lined with photos of his wife, children and grandchildren.

“Nikki Setzler loves people and he loves his community,” said James.

Setzler, who said you’ll still see him around town, and practicing law, explained his decision to leave the Senate. “God gave me the ability and strength all these years,” Setzler said. “God said now it’s time to come home.”