Gov. Mark Sanford has weighed in on another local school board race, this time recording a telephone message of support for District 10 candidate David Chase.

It marked the third time Sanford has backed a candidate in a local nonpartisan school board race in the past year.

Chase faces incumbent Al Stern in the district that comprises Sun City Hilton Head, the community of Windmill Harbour, all of the communities on the north side of U.S. 278 up to S.C. 170, all of the communities on the east side of S.C. 170 from U.S. 278 to the Broad River and Laurel Bay in northern Beaufort County. Both candidates are Sun City residents.

Stern, who has been on the Beaufort County school board since 2000, said he found Sanford's message on his own answering machine Monday. And, he said, he had messages from two other Sun City residents telling him they also received the message.

"I wasn't surprised (Sanford) supported David Chase," Stern said. "I was surprised he supported anybody."

Stern said he had the support of District 10 County Council member Margaret Griffin and school board members Rick Caporale, who represents Hilton Head Island, and Dale Friedman, who represents Beaufort and Port Royal.

That support makes sense, Stern said, because Griffin lives in his district and Caporale and Friedman are fellow board members.

But Sanford's support is a different story, he said.

Sanford's "message could influence Republicans to vote for Chase even though I am also a Republican," Stern said.

That's the same complaint Chuck Ford made when Sanford endorsed his opponent in the District 3 school board race, Stu Rodman.

Chase said Barbara Nielsen, former state education superintendent and Sanford's education adviser, told Sanford about where he stood on educational issues. Nielsen lives in District 10.

Sanford then called him within the past to week to discuss issues before deciding to make the taped message, Chase said. He also said that Sanford did not contribute any money to his campaign, which he paid for entirely by himself.

"I was looking for support everywhere," said Chase, who also said he was trying to level the playing field because he is running against an incumbent.

Will Folks, spokesman for Sanford, said "the governor did indeed tape a message for Mr. Chase." When asked why, Folks said the governor "will reserve the option to support folks at the local level who share his underlying philosophy of government."

Last November, in a special election, Sanford also supported District 7 candidate Richard Tritschler in a three-way race for the Lady's Island seat. Tritschler said the governor supported him because he was opposed to the district building a $28.7 million high school north of the Whale Branch River in Dale.