COLUMBIA - Sen. Tommy Moore announced his intention to run for governor of South Carolina on Thursday.

Standing on the Statehouse steps with family and friends, Mr. Moore, D-Clearwater, laid out his goals for the economy and education.

"Now, some will say, 'All this sounds great. Great talk. We've heard it all before from other politicians. Why should we believe you can do any better than our current governor?'" Mr. Moore said.

He smiled, "Well, I certainly don't believe I can do any worse."

It has been known for months that he and Florence Mayor Frank Willis would face off in the Democratic primary June 13, the same day Gov. Mark Sanford and Oscar Lovelace, a family physician, compete for the Republican nomination.

But Mr. Moore's rally Thursday spotlighted a key day in the electoral process, the opening day of the candidacy filing period. The last day to file is March 30.

Mr. Sanford's campaign manager Jason Miller, who attended Mr. Moore's rally, called the senator a longtime "political insider."

In addition to the governor's seat and the other eight constitutional offices, the 124 seats in the state House of Representatives and South Carolina's six seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election this November.

For the first time since winning a special election in October 1999, Rep. Skipper Perry, R-Aiken, is facing opposition. Retired businessman Walter Lamb is challenging Mr. Perry in the Republican primary.

Republican Reps. Don Smith of North Augusta and Roland Smith of Langley, and Rep. Bill Clyburn, D-Aiken, confirmed Thursday that they would seek re-election.