Gov. Mark Sanford's detractors will have to find another champion to take him on in next year's Republican primary.

Retired banker-ambassador Robert Royall has taken himself out of the running, noting that he was never really in the race. But he said there are legitimate concerns about the state's economy and governmental dysfunction that Sanford must address.

"I hadn't thought much more about it, but I'm not going to get involved in all that," he said Thursday in a telephone interview from his Lowcountry home. "I'm a retired man at this stage in the game."

Royall, 70, had been approached by some business-oriented Republicans dissatisfied with Sanford's economic development record and three years of fighting with his GOP legislative majority.

Although Royall said he would support Sanford for a second term, he called on him to "do a much better job, if indeed he will listen to some of the concerns of the business sector and others."

Sanford couldn't be reached for comment, but campaign spokeswoman Katie Dreiling said Royall "is a terrific South Carolinian; however, Gov. Sanford has never paid a whole lot of attention to who is or who is not in this race."

She said Sanford's focus is on "reforms that will make our economy more competitive."

Sanford, who has more than $3.4 million in his re-election treasury, has one primary opponent, political unknown Oscar Lovelace, a family physician from Chapin, who has raised $20,940 through June 30, according to state Ethics Commission reports. Two Democrats are seeking their party's nomination, state Sen. Tommy Moore of Clearwater and Florence Mayor Frank Willis.

The concerns of those who asked him to run are legitimate, Royall said, in terms of lagging job development and infighting between Sanford and the Legislature that has seen most of the governor's initiatives scuttled.

"He needs to take some action that will turn some of these elements around," Royall said.

Calling economic development a team effort that has been impeded, Royall said, "The governor, the Legislature, others have got to work together. If they don't, industry picks up on it in a hurry and they talk among themselves nationwide, worldwide. They know what's going on, and that hurts us."

Royall said his heart was never in the request that he run, that "I put it to bed a good while ago."

He suggested that age and timing were factors.

"I've had a good career, I've competed, but you don't jump into the arena when you know you can't go but so many rounds."

But Royall said, "I really think some things can be done to improve conditions in the state, there's no question about that; hopefully, the governor will respond in a positive way to some of the folks out there who have legitimate concerns. Certainly economic development is at the top of the list of grave concerns that I've heard."

Only the Upstate, home to burgeoning automotive-high tech development, has seen some success in replacing lost textile jobs, he said. "It continues to lead the state, but we've got to pick that pace up and do a better job of competing."

South Carolina has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and has lost out to neighboring states on a number of big-time, high-wage industrial prospects.

Royall said Sanford's libertarian beliefs and difficulty in working with the Legislature "is a tough situation. I would hope some better coordination would take place. You've got a government that borders on dysfunctional when (executive and legislative branches) can't get along. That's where I hope Mark would make a concerted effort to try to heal some of that.

"God knows, it's complex."