CLINTON — Armed with his morning coffee at a popular restaurant on South Broad Street, Fred Chapman tells his buddies that he is going to vote Democratic for the first time in 20 years.

The reason?

He has had enough of Republican Gov. Mark Sanford.

“He has done a poor job as governor. I think he listens to his wife too much,” said Chapman, a retired Presbyterian College professor.

Chapman is among what appears to be a growing number of old-line Democrats in the Laurens County town and elsewhere who are returning home to the Democratic Party for the 2006 election after having strayed to the GOP.

“They’re coming back,” said an excited Elaine Gentry, chairwoman of the Greenwood County Democratic Party. “Many have expressed an interest in wanting to get active again.”

Greenwood, Laurens and Union counties are among 15 swing counties in South Carolina. The counties serve as bellwethers, with their political choices determining the winner. These counties generally vote Republican in presidential election years but are known to vote Democratic in state and local races. Often their elected officials are a mix of both parties.

Judging from recent interviews with more than two dozen voters in the three Upstate counties, Sanford cannot take his re-election for granted. A number of GOP voters are disturbed with him and are considering voting for Democratic nominee Tommy Moore — or staying home on Election Day.

More than 200 were at a Democratic Party rally at Lee’s Barbecue in Greenwood on Tuesday evening, according to those in attendance. The standing-room-only crowd surprised even party organizers.

“It was unbelievable,” said organizer Robert Tinsley.

Republicans are worried at what they see is a shift in sentiment toward the Democrats.

Democrats have put up a strong slate of candidates for statewide office. They could take at least two seats, with lieutenant governor and comptroller general perhaps the most competitive, analysts say. Such gains could offset possible losses in races for education superintendent, where Inez Tenenbaum is not running for re-election, and state treasurer, where incumbent Grady Patterson faces a strong challenge from Charleston developer Thomas Ravenel.

In 2002, Sanford won Greenwood County by a comfortable margin, capturing 55 percent of the vote against Democratic Gov. Jim Hodges.

Most of the disenchantment with Sanford stems from his aloof style and his inability to accomplish anything with the Legislature — a huge turnoff, voters said.

“That’s going to be his downfall,” said Clinton City Councilman Eddie McGee, a Republican.

Many citizens want to avoid four more years of gridlock, as some called it, between Sanford and the GOP-controlled Legislature.

Support for Sanford has slipped.

“I see a lot of Republicans voting for Tommy Moore,” McGee said.

He rated the contest “a tossup.”

Sanford is not without his loyal supporters, however.

Bill Thomas, a retired nuclear physicist in Clinton, said, “I like Mark. His ideas are solid.”

Tommy Hollis, a retired Clinton businessman, finds Sanford attractive because “he’s not a politician. He’s a thinker. Now if he could just decide how to get his ideas through the General Assembly.”

Ashton Barrington, a Clinton gift shop owner who leans Republican, called Sanford “an honest, God-fearing man who really does have a heart for this state.”

Other issues of concern are high gasoline prices, the cost of health care, education, immigration and taxes.

Most interviewed remain quietly confident about the future of the country. They have only contempt for politicians who engage in partisan sniping and take out negative campaign ads in an attempt to destroy one another.

“I’m sick and tired of members attacking each other,” said Frankie Graham, a Greenwood restaurant owner. “I don’t like it. It’s enough to make me want to stay home. I don’t want to hear that ...; I really don’t.”

Area residents are more concerned about their jobs, families and safety.

This summer, The Timken Co. said it is closing its bearing and steel alloy plant in Clinton, sending shivers through the community already hit hard by textile plant closings.

“That’s a huge punch in the gut,” said Melissa Patton, who, together with her husband, owns a restaurant here.

She noted the announcement already has had an impact.

“It used to be full at lunch.” she said looking out over her restaurant.” Not anymore.”

The plant-closing announcements have cost Sanford politically.

“I voted for him because I thought he’d be different,” Patton said. “But he is so different that he can’t get anything done.”

Still, Patton added, “He’ll probably get re-elected because the Democrats can’t find a strong candidate. Tommy Moore doesn’t have enough time or money.”