COLUMBIA--If elected, Mike Campbell would greatly expand the role of the lieutenant governor and focus his energy on improving the state's economy.

The Republican candidate outlined his vision for the job in a 25-page campaign platform released Wednesday.

Campbell, son of former Gov. Carroll Campbell, faces Republican Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer in the June GOP primary. The winner likely will face former Charleston legislator Robert Barber, the only Democrat who has announced a 2006 election bid.

Campbell's plan, "Working for Tomorrow," highlights six areas he intends to focus on: government restructuring, economic development, helping small business, improving public education, enhancing work force training and protecting the environment amid growth.

It paints a bleak picture of the South Carolina economy, citing the state's high unemployment rate, low wages and anemic job growth.

Campbell, a Columbia businessman who believes more needs to be done to recruit industry to the state, stopped short of criticizing Gov. Mark Sanford, a fellow Republican who often is blamed for the lagging economy.

"I think Mark's catching a lot of flak that is not necessarily deserved," Campbell said. "It's always easy to point the finger at the guy in the chair."

As lieutenant governor, Campbell said he would focus on bringing new businesses to South Carolina and helping the ones already here grow, a role not typically played by the state's No. 2 in command.

"In a nutshell, everything to me comes back to jobs," he said. "That's what it takes to build your economy. And let's face it, South Carolina is not where we need to be with job creation."

State politics expert Scott Huffmon said the lieutenant governor's post lacks specific duties, and Campbell's broad interpretation of the job is not unprecedented. But that doesn't mean it will happen, the Winthrop University professor said.

"Whether he can make these changes depends on politics and the law," he said. "The question is what can he do without stepping on the toes of other government entities" responsible for recruiting industry.

Huffmon said it is incredibly early in the campaign for a lieutenant governor candidate to issue a platform like this. "It sounds like he's trying to make himself out to be the idea man," he said.

Bauer said he spends most of his time working with the Office of Aging, which was moved from the governor's office to the lieutenant governor's last year. Earlier this week, he said his activities with seniors have kept him from even thinking about his re-election campaign.

Barber agreed with Campbell that the lieutenant governor's office "is not being used right now to its fullest potential." But the Charleston restaurant owner doesn't support the concept of a jointly elected executive branch. Barber said he plans to release his own plan soon.

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