State Sen. Tommy Moore is the "right kind" of Democrat to beat Republican Gov. Mark Sanford next year if he gets the money, experts say.

Moore, from Aiken, certainly has the credentials. He's got 26 years of state legislative experience, an understanding of state government and a moderate to conservative voting record.

"He is the type who can get elected statewide," says Danielle Vinson, a political scientist at Furman University.

If Democrats hope to make any gains in 2006, now is the time to do it. It's an off-year election. There is no presidential race or U.S. Senate contest to draw GOP voters to the polls.

"This is a state election, straight out," notes Francis Marion University analyst Neal Thigpen, a GOP activist.

Democrats tend to fare better in such elections.

"Republicans can't tie the national party label around their neck. It won't stick," says College of Charleston professor Bill Moore.

Republicans are much more open to voting Democratic in state elections.

"If you're a Democrat and looking for a good candidate, you got him in Tommy Moore," says Charleston professor Moore. "His moderate to conservative voting record is a very strong selling point."

Other Democrats considering a run are Florence Mayor Frank Willis and lobbyist Michael Hollings, son of former U.S. Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings.

Moore, who announced his candidacy last weekend, appears to be the choice of the Democratic establishment. He repeatedly has met the test. He has shown he can win in a district hostile to Democrats.

The key, however, is money.

Moore, unknown outside his Senate district, will have to raise and spend about $2 million to establish name identification.

"If he can do that, he can make a race of it," says Vinson.

Democrats are buoyed by a recent party poll showing Sanford's star to be losing its luster.

Sanford came to Columbia as an outsider without any state legislative experience. He never has been a part of the GOP establishment. In many respects, he's a loner.

As governor, he has rubbed many the wrong way with his antics and behavior. He has failed as a negotiator.

"Obviously, there is a disconnect between the members of the General Assembly and the governor," says professor Moore.

Sanford also is not a good stump campaigner. He doesn't excite. Still, voters out there in the hinterlands love him because he stands up to legislators.

When Sanford was elected, Republicans got what they dreamed of -- a State House controlled by the GOP. But, instead of a tidal wave of GOP cooperation, they got trench warfare.

"This is not what a lot of Republicans had hoped for," Thigen says.

Often, the GOP-controlled legislature pays little attention to Sanford. It goes its own way, often outmaneuvering the governor and leaving him stranded holding the bag, showing he is not particularly adept in the legislative process.

Moore, on the other hand, is often the go-to man in the Senate. He repeatedly has been asked to resolve conflicts.

Sanford has accomplished little in three years, Democrats will contend, an issue tailor-made for them.

But Vinson has a word of caution for the Democrats. They must have their own ideas if they hope to be successful at the polls in 2006. They can't just bash Sanford for not getting anything done, she says.

Moore is respected on both sides of the aisle.

The question is can he win Republican votes if he's the Democratic nominee?

While GOP legislators care little for Sanford, will they openly oppose the governor? Probably not. They cannot, as a party, afford to do that.

But some Republicans may quietly spread the word among constituents that they could live with Moore as governor.

Lee

Bandy Lee

Bandy