CHARLESTON, S.C. - After next year, South Carolina will lose one of its most recognizable political figures - state Sen. Arthur Ravenel Jr. says he'll end his long career in politics when his term is up in 2004.

The Republican from Mount Pleasant says his age, 77, his wife and 19 grandchildren are factors in leaving. Plus he thinks it's becoming too tough to drive in his district, which stretches about 100 miles from where he lives to the Grand Strand.

"I don't intend to run again," Ravenel said this week in The (Charleston) Post and Courier. "I counted them up the other day, in my political career, I've had 19 contested races. I don't know how many uncontested."

State Rep. Jim Merrill, R-Daniel Island, called Ravenel his political mentor.

"There's only two or three real characters in the Legislature," Merrill said. "The rest of us are in danger of becoming little drones. It's bad when you lose people like Arthur."

Democratic state Sen. Kay Patterson of Columbia was a freshman senator in 1985 and sat alongside Ravenel on the Senate's back row.

"Arthur would start talking, and I wouldn't know what the hell he was talking about, with his accent," Patterson said. "I hate him to leave the Senate, because I definitely will miss him."

Ravenel's career began when he served in the state House of Representatives from 1953-58. He was elected to the state Senate in 1981. He won a seat in Congress in 1986 and represented the state's 1st Congressional District for eight years.

He ran for governor in 1994, but lost the Republican nomination to eventual winner, Gov. David Beasley. But two years later, Ravenel was again elected to the state senate on a promise he'd work to help replace the aging Cooper River Bridge.

He helped create a state-run infrastructure bank that would help finance road projects of $100 million or more.

"It's been a great success," Ravenel said.

The new Cooper River bridge will be named in his honor.

A reason Ravenel's leaving is his district is about to shift its population center northward into the Grand Strand. Ravenel voluntarily gave up Republican neighborhoods to help make districts safer for Sen. John Kuhn, R-Charleson, and Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley.

Ravenel says he'll travel and work on his farm in Hell Hole Swamp north of Charleston when he's done with politics. He said he'll also monitor his son Thomas's run GOP run for the U.S. Senate next year.

Ravenel's favorite political story? One of his favorites came from 1992 when he was chatting with the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond at the Flowertown Festival in Summerville.

Thurmond said, "Arthur, is there something I can do for you?"

Ravenel answered "When I die, will you say a few nice things at my funeral?"

Thurmond looked at Ravenel and deadpanned "Arthur, I'd be happy to do that."

Information from: The Post And Courier