COLUMBIA -Horry County's representative on the Santee Cooper board will resign at the request of Gov. Mark Sanford, who wants to replace him.

Members of the Horry County legislative delegation said they are displeased with Sanford's action to remove board member Billy Alford and hope the governor will cooperate with them on a replacement.

Santee Cooper serves most of the residents of Horry County with electricity, and the county is its biggest customer.

Georgetown County's representative, Mike Wooten, also was asked to step aside and said he thought six or seven of the 11 board members were asked to leave.

Alford, a former state highway commissioner and Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce chairman, was named to the board last year by former Gov. Jim Hodges, a Democrat.

Alford supported Hodges for re-election, but Sanford, a Republican, won.

"I think he's paying Billy back politically," said Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach. But he said Alford also supported Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Sanford asked Alford to step aside because "the governor believes it is important to have people on board that share his philosophy," said Will Folks, the governor's spokesman.

He would not say any more or whether Sanford has anyone else in mind. Nor would he say who else from the board had been asked to resign.

Viers said the county's legislators have a good candidate to replace Alford, and they hope Sanford will talk to them before appointing someone.

But the appointment is Sanford's to make, and "that's his prerogative" if he chooses not to get input, Viers said.

In a letter to Sanford, Alford said he was "pleased to honor your request to step down upon your appointment of my successor."

But he said the governor's choice of a replacement is vital "and will, for the coastal region, define the legacy of your administration for the future of environmental tourism, job creation, international trade show development, regional intergovernmental cooperation and smart growth."