FLORENCE - The man picked by Gov. Mark Sanford to fill in for Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Sharpe last year will try to get the job on a more permanent basis.

Hugh Weathers, a dairy farmer from Bowman, said he'll run as a Republican for agriculture commissioner in the November 2006 general election. He traveled to four areas of the state Monday, including the Pee Dee State Farmers Market, to make his official announcement.

Lachlan McIntosh, executive director of the state Democratic Party, told The Associated Press he doesn't expect a Democrat to step forward this week, but at least one candidate is considering a bid for the office.

Weathers was appointed last year as an interim to fill the position after Sharpe was charged with extortion, money laundering and lying to investigators in connection with a cockfighting ring. In January, Sharpe admitted in federal court he took $10,000 to protect a cockfighting organization from legal trouble. He is serving a two-year prison sentence.

Weathers, 49, comes from a four-generation dairy family and owns a 650-acre dairy operation and a bulk milk delivery service.

Sanford wants future governors to be able to appoint agriculture commissioners. That's part of his government restructuring agenda that would remove all but a few of statewide elected offices from ballots and give governors the power to choose who gets those jobs.

Weathers said he supports that position if it is done right.

"We talked about that before he appointed me," Weathers said. "The appointment process can serve the industry well if there are criteria and standards in place for serving in the position."

Weathers said his priority as commissioner in the year since he was appointed has been bringing more opportunities to South Carolina agriculture businesses and farmers.

One of those opportunities is the expansion of farmers markets across the state. He said that will continue to be his priority if elected.

"A new State Farmers Market at Columbia has been a dream for agriculture for a long, long time," Weathers said. "The proposal for a new market was approved in March, and the design work is going on right now."

Weathers said expansions for the Pee Dee Farmers Market are also in the works.

"We want to put more emphasis on this," he said. "We should have something to announce about more vendor space here soon."

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