COLUMBIA, S.C. - The state Democratic Party has had little to say about Republican Gov. Mark Sanford the past two years.

But that changed Tuesday, as Democrats went on the offensive, saying that during Sanford's term in office, the state's unemployment rate has become the nation's third-highest while South Carolina was close to the bottom in income growth.

Sanford's "failed economic polices are causing real pain for working families in South Carolina" while the governor is proposing tax breaks for the wealthy, state Democratic Party chairman Joe Erwin said.

Democrats will hold their state convention and fund-raising Jefferson-Jackson banquet the weekend of April 22. The party is still trying to recover from losing a U.S. Senate seat in November and has no announced candidate to take on Sanford in 2006.

Sanford denied claims that he has failed to live up to his campaign pledges.

"I was elected on a mandate of change," Sanford said. People still want that, but "at times, it has been the legislative process that has slowed up the people's ability to get the changes that we proposed."

Erwin countered that the governor hasn't worked with the Legislature, but has resorted to stunts, including bringing pigs and a horse-drawn carriage to the Statehouse.

Those moves have alienated legislators in both parties, House Minority Leader Harry Ott, D-St. Matthews, said, noting that both the House and Senate have a Republican majority.

Sanford said governors should be held accountable for income growth and unemployment rates. That's why he lobbied legislators for a cut in the state's top income tax rate.

A governor would be "totally accountable if he is able to make the changes that he proposes and there's not a positive consequence that results from the changes he proposed," Sanford said. But "it's awfully difficult to hold the guy accountable for a result if he proposes the remedy" and lawmakers don't act.

For example, the House has passed a Sanford-backed bill cutting the top state income tax rate to 4.8 percent from 7 percent over the next 10 years. The Senate Finance Committee amended that bill, targeting the tax cut only for small-business owners.

"That's only one-third of the pie," Sanford said. The broader bill would attract retirees and wealthy executives, he said.

As of Tuesday, no Democrat has announced plans to take on Sanford in the 2006 gubernatorial race. Several state legislators mentioned as likely candidates say they won't pursue the Democratic nomination.

State Sens. Brad Hutto of Orangeburg and Tommy Moore of Clearwater say they're mulling a run. Hutto said in the days ahead, only one of them will announce plans to run.