COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina Democrats finished January with less than $3,000 in their federal campaign accounts, a fraction of the more than $190,000 state Republicans had for future Washington races.

With no federal elections this year, it's not much of a surprise that donations slow to a trickle.

Republicans raised $20,749, the party's filing with the Federal Election Commission shows. The drought was worse for Democrats, who raised $10,275 in January, thanks to a $10,000 contribution from state Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin, the FEC filing shows.

Luke Byars, the state GOP's executive director, seized on that. "They only had one check - from their chairman," he said.

Erwin did not immediately respond to a call.

"Joe is one of our annual contributors," said Michelle Macrina, the state Democratic Party's acting executive director. That contribution regularly comes in at the beginning of the year.

Macrina said the party is on firm financial footing. "We are not borrowing money. We have no loans out," she said.

The numbers don't suggest vigor, Byars said.

"The Democratic Party is starting to resemble Lazarus: They may need a little help to get back into the game. ... He's dead," Byars said.

The federal filings don't reflect state money the parties have raised. In a December filing, Democrats reported they had $27,415 on hand and Republicans had $128,061. The next report won't be released until April.

Changes in the state Democratic party's day-to-day leadership are coming. Nu Wexler ran the party for about a year before leaving the executive director's job last year to run the Democrats' election efforts. Wexler returned to the job after the election, but said two weeks ago that he's leaving. Macrina says the party's now advertising for a new full-time director.

Last week, Erwin announced he will seek another term - dousing hopes from some quarters that he would take on Republican Gov. Mark Sanford in 2006.