Ervin graduated from
Erskine College with a
bachelor's degree in history, and then the
University of South Carolina School of Law in 1977. He was elected to serve in the
South Carolina House of Representatives, representing the seventh district, as a member of the
Democratic Party. He served from 1979 through 1983. Ervin has not held any type of public office since this term expired in 1983. He served two terms in the state House, and then served on the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. He served a
circuit court judge for 14 years. In the November 2014 general election Ervin had planned to appear as a petition candidate for governor, after the South Carolina Election Commission certified his candidacy on July 23, 2013. However, in late October, he dropped out and endorsed
Democratic nominee
Vincent Sheheen suddenly without any real explanation. Ervin and his wife practice law together in
Greenville,
South Carolina. Ervin also purchased
WRIX-FM,
WRIX and
WANS, three
Anderson County radio stations, in 2013. However, in late 2014, he donated the radio stations to a local non-profit religious foundation that owns and operates local
southern gospel radio stations. ==Personal life==