Sen. Tommy Moore campaigns in Aiken

Tue, Aug 29, 2006

By TONY BAUGHMAN

Staff writer

Gubernatorial candidate Tommy Moore will bring his campaign home to Aiken County this week.

Moore, a Clearwater resident who will challenge Gov. Mark Sanford in November, is scheduled to speak Thursday night to the Aiken County Democratic Party. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the County Council chambers, 736 Richland Ave.

Moore, who treks back and forth across South Carolina trying to sway voters from Sanford, expressed his excitement about playing to a friendly, familiar audience.

"I enjoy traveling the state, but it always feels great to come home to Aiken," Moore said. "These good folks gave me a great turnout and 95 percent of the vote in the primary, and I'm excited about working with them to achieve a big victory in November."

Other candidates are expected to attend Thursday's gathering, according to a release from John Brecht, chairman of the Aiken County Democratic Party.

"The meeting is open to the public, and all citizens are invited to hear from Tommy Moore as to why he should be our next governor," said Brecht in announcing the forum. "Tommy is one of our own, and I want to urge all Aiken County voters to come out in force to show our support for our friend."

Moore, who has served in the S.C. Senate since 1980, earned the state Democratic Party nomination by defeating Florence Mayor Frank Willis and Columbia attorney Dennis Aughtry in the June primary. A Rasmussen Report poll of 500 likely voters earlier this month showed that Moore had narrowed the gap between himself and the incumbent Republican governor to nine points, 47 percent to 38 percent.

"Sanford's drop is despite his blanketing television airwaves with nearly continuous advertising and launching a statewide series of negative attacks against Tommy," Brecht said.

Education and unemployment are among the topics Moore is expected to address during his speech, according to a release from the senator's campaign office in Columbia.

Contact Tony Baughman at tbaughman@aikenstandard.com