In the 2000 Democratic Senate primary, Ford beat former Charleston City Councilman Maurice Washington in a runoff.

Washington is back again, but with a different strategy. He's running as an independent petition candidate.

Washington, who secured some 2,500 voter signatures to capture a spot on the ballot, announced his intentions in August, after Ford easily won the June Democratic primary. Ford said the news surprised him because he thought he'd locked up his seat, but Washington said he began hitting the pavement in April to drum up support for his campaign. No Republican filed for the office.

These candidates disagree over just about everything, even the top issues facing the district.

Ford said infrastructure problems -- dilapidated roads, bridges and sidewalks -- trump other concerns. His solution is to bring back video poker and allow riverboat gambling in South Carolina. He said his plan would bring in $1.5 billion a year for the state through a 30 percent tax on the gambling industry. Three-fourths of that revenue could fund infrastructure improvements, and the rest could go to county and municipal governments for community improvements, he said.

Since the state has adopted a lottery, Ford said anti-gambling arguments against his plan no longer hold water.

"The state is in serious financial trouble," he said.

Washington said the district needs more community involvement to address problems such as a low rate of home ownership, elevated school dropout rates and low wages. He said 56 percent of children aged 5 and under live in poverty in his district.

"These are issues that Ford has ignored during his 12 years," Washington said.

Washington's plan would create a community land trust organization, a nonprofit group run by elected community representatives and funded by federal grants and donations from the business community. It would secure land for diverse-income housing and green space as well as boosting minority business development, he said.

Washington said such plans have succeeded in Atlanta and parts of California.

One issue the candidates agree on is public transportation. Because so many residents in the district depend on it, both Washington and Ford support the proposed half-cent sales tax, which aims to breathe new life into the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority.

ROBERT FORD

AGE: 55

RESIDENCE: Charleston

FAMILY: Single

EDUCATION: Attended Grambling State University and Wayne State University, 1965-69.

PHONE/E-MAIL: 813-1777/RIF@scsenate.org

OCCUPATION: Part of the Black Community Developers Program, which organizes minority groups for social causes.

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Served 17 years on Charleston City Council and 12 years in the state Senate.

MAURICE WASHINGTON

AGE: 43

RESIDENCE: Charleston

FAMILY: Wife, Violet; two sons, two daughters.

EDUCATION: South Carolina State University, bachelor's degree, 1985.

PHONE/E-MAIL: 722-8258/mauricewashington@bigplanet.com

OCCUPATION: Insurance and investment adviser.

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Served eight years on Charleston City Council; Chairman of S.C. State University's board of trustees; member of Gov. Mark Sanford's seven-member transition team.

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