A week ago, South Carolina’s Donnie Fowler gave Howard Dean a scare.

Since then, vying for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee, Fowler has been trying to convince Democrats that it was something more than that.

“It’s not over,” he told CNN anchor Judy Woodruff as recently as Friday afternoon. “Nobody’s cast a single vote yet.”

Just hours later, though, Fowler took an informal vote count and, “it became clear that Howard Dean has the votes to become Democratic chairman.”

So he stepped aside.

A roller-coaster week ago, the executive committee of Democratic state party chairs picked 37-year-old Fowler over the former Vermont governor and 2004 presidential candidate.

A day later, a larger group of party chairs gave Dean 56 votes and Fowler 21 in what turned out to be a decisive blow to Fowler’s campaign.

The vote that counts will take place in Washington on Saturday, when the 447 members of the Democratic National Committee choose the new leader. That’s the one Fowler decided he didn’t have the votes to overtake Dean in.

The dark horse candidate had hoped to plug his Southern roots into the party that is now realizing it cannot abandon the region to win the White House.

“I know from experience that local people know better,” Fowler said.

The 1993 USC law school grad had been criss-crossing the country and accepting every offer for airtime he could get, arguing that the party also needs his expert organizing and get-out-the-vote skills.

Despite the energy he had thrown into the race, it wasn’t looking good for him. Even Fowler’s father, a USC political science professor and DNC chairman from 1995 to 1997, gave Dean the edge.

But Democrats say Fowler has something valuable to show for his efforts.

“Donnie has emerged as the second choice to Dean; that’s clearly a credit to Donnie,” said Joe Erwin, chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party. “Months ago, when he first called me, most folks around the country didn’t give him an afterthought.”

Fowler, his supporters point out, had stayed in the race as more famous and experienced candidates dropped out. In recent weeks, his name recognition and reputation have soared.

Monday’s vote of party chairs showed that Fowler had far more support than former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, Democratic fund-raiser Simon Rosenberg, former U.S. Rep. Tim Roemer, D-Ind., and former U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas.

Roemer is the lone holdout still challenging Dean.

Fowler has “definitely become a player in the national Democratic Party,” said former S.C. Democratic Party chairman Dick Harpootlian, who, like Erwin, endorsed Fowler.

“He can rightfully say he represents the hopes and aspirations of a significant number of us who believe that the party should focus mainly on pocketbook issues, not gay rights and abortion rights.”

Fowler had been running a middle-of-the-road campaign with delegates, reminding them of his work in the trenches.

His pitch: “I’ve been there with you on the ground, working with you on the state parties. I’ve worked with you in legislative races. I’ve been there as a staff person and not as a consultant. Many of you know me and know you can trust me.”

Fowler has a range of experience, from serving as a page for Republican U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond while a junior in high school to working for the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s presidential bid in 1988. He also was field director for Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000.

He has worked on campaigns in 14 states. Last year, he was state director of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s Michigan operation.

“I have trouble sitting on the sidelines in any election,” Fowler said. “The presidential election is the most exciting thing you can do every four years unless you’re in the Olympics.”

Despite last week’s developments, Harpootlian has some advice for his fellow Democrats.

“Anybody running for president in 2008 ought take a good hard look at Donnie Fowler.”

Reach Markoe at (202) 383-6023 or lmarkoe@krwashington.com The Associated Press contributed to this report.