The latest ranking of states, looking at the number women in leadership and policy-making positions, has South Carolina falling to 48th under Gov. Mark Sanford, compared to a ranking of 26th under former Gov. Jim Hodges. But a spokesman for Gov. Sanford says the numbers are incorrect.

The Center for Women in Government & Civil Society has surveyed states for eight years, looking at the number of women appointed by governors to head state agencies or departments and to policy-making roles.

In 2001, Gov. Jim Hodges' staff reported for the survey that 13 of 39 positions were held by women. That's 33 percent, ranking the state 26th.

In 2003, Gov. Mark Sanford had appointed women to 6 of 29 positions. That's 20.7 percent, and drops the state's ranking to 48th.

Dr. Laura Woliver, a professor of Political Science and Women's Studies at the University of South Carolina, says, "It looks very bad for the state to be going backwards like this in yet another category for women's socioeconomic status and their representation in the democracy."

Gov. Sanford was out of the state Monday at the National Governors' Association meeting in Washington, D.C. But his spokesman, Chris Drummond, says the numbers have changed since the survey was taken.

He says three of 14 members of the governor's cabinet are women, and there are four women on the senior staff. That makes seven instead of the six reported. But he says you would also have to count former Spartanburg Rep. Rita Allison, who's now an education policy advisor to the governor, and First Lady Jenny Sanford, who is also an advisor and has been helping the two staff members who have been acting as co-chiefs of staff.

That would bring the total to 9 out of 29, or 31 percent, slightly under the figure during the Hodges administration.

But Dr. Woliver is concerned about the governor's counting of his wife in the total. "The governor doesn't understand that using his wife as an example of his utilization of women in his administration is a mixed message, because it seems like you have to be married to the governor or related to him to be a powerful woman in his administration."

Drummond says out of 382 gubernatorial appointments to state boards and commissions, Gov. Sanford has appointed 92 women, nine more than Gov. Hodges.

"The governor has said from day one that his goal has been an administration that looks like South Carolina," Drummond says. "He believes limiting your perspective doesn't make sense in the decision-making process and his appointments to senior staff, his cabinet and various statewide boards and commissions reflect that."

Drummond says comparing this administration to the previous one is also comparing apples to oranges, since there have been budget cuts, positions eliminated and vacancies not filled since Gov. Hodges left office.

Judith Saidel, Executive Director of The Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, says, "The baseline number of positions was different between the two administrations. But it's not a matter of comparing apples to oranges. It's a matter of comparing the number of apples."

The center is at the State University of New York in Albany.

She says the study relies on the integrity of each state to report its number accurately. "We don't second-guess them," she says.