COLUMBIA - Horry County's Republican House members led the drive for a former Democratic member of Congress to get a seat on a powerful state board last week.

Delegation members said they didn't care what party former U.S. Rep. Robin Tallon is in, they like him and wanted to help him get the post on the board of the Medical University of South Carolina.

To do that, they had to help Tallon defeat the incumbent in the seat, Charlie Appleby of Florence. Appleby was an architect of the Republican Party in the Pee Dee area in the 1970s when the state was dominated by Democrats.

Appleby lost the confidence of legislators, who elect college board members, but some hated to vote him out in favor of a former Democratic politician, said Rep. Jim McGee, R-Florence.

"It was ugly," McGee said.

Appleby withdrew before the election, after he found that Tallon had the majority of votes.

Tallon represented Horry and Georgetown counties in Congress from 1982-1992, when the two counties were in the 6th Congressional District. He went to work as a lobbyist in Washington after district lines were redrawn in 1991, and currently his biggest client is Altria, formerly known as Philip Morris.

Tallon said he is building a house in Florence and wants to spend more time at home and out of Washington. He said he was approached by political leaders to run against Appleby for the MUSC board seat.

Tallon said he wants to connect the medical school with federal programs he is familiar with that could enhance medical care in the region, he said.

"It's one of the poorest congressional districts in the country," Tallon said. "It's among the very highest in heart disease, diabetes and cancer."

The board seat isn't a step back into state politics, Tallon said, who declined to identify his current party affiliation.

Tallon, whose family has long owned a house in North Myrtle Beach, still has many political ties in both parties in Horry County. Rep. Liston Barfield, R-Aynor, led his campaign for the board seat, Tallon said.

Rep. Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach, said he has known Tallon and his family for many years.

In other college board elections: Robert Rabon was re-elected to the Coastal Carolina University board for the 1st Congressional District and Tommy Stringer was elected from the 4th District. Randy Dozier, superintendent of schools in Georgetown County, was re-elected to the Francis Marion University board.House goes on break

The House is taking spring break. The Senate plans to meet all week but often takes off early the week before Easter.

The Senate Finance Committee is set to finish its work on the state budget this week. A Senate subcommittee will continue work Wednesday on a bill allowing Georgetown County and five other communities to continue to have Sunday store sales of beer and wine.