eliminate the state's Budget and Control Board. The governor insisted that these measures would reduce the number of redundant positions and make state government both more efficient and less costly. Sanford's three major issues for the campaign were: Restructuring state government. School choice through tuition tax credits. Tax cuts and spending restraint. State Senator Tommy Moore ran as a good manager of state government. He held socially conservative and fiscally moderate positions, which put him squarely at odds with the libertarian incumbent. Moore disagreed with what he believed was Sanford's condescending and combative approach of dealing with the General Assembly. The senator also believed that Sanford lacked leadership skills, and that lack of leadership had brought South Carolina to a standstill over the past four years in his view. The main policy proposals that he developed were: A rural infrastructure bank to help undeveloped counties. A governor's office that actively recruits new businesses to the state. A 30-cent tax increase on cigarettes to offset small business tax credits for employee health insurance. On July 7, several weeks after the primary election, Lexington County State Senator Jake Knotts launched a last-minute effort to place his name on the ballot as a petition candidate for governor. He had feuded with Governor Sanford over a number of issues, including the heart center for Lexington County, and supported Lovelace in the Republican primary. In order to be on the ballot in November, Knotts needed to collect 10,000 signatures of registered voters by July 17, which he failed to do. Knotts's political consultant publicly stated that he could not have raised enough money to have run a successful candidacy. There were two trains of thought on the effects of a candidacy by Knotts. It was generally believed that had Knotts entered the race, it would have split the Republican vote and helped elect Tommy Moore. However, because those who supported Knotts went on to support Moore, it was also argued that a Knotts candidacy would have in fact deprived Moore of both votes and money. Predictions Polling Election results |- | | colspan=5 |Republican hold |- See also 2006 United States gubernatorial elections Governor of South Carolina List of governors of South Carolina South Carolina gubernatorial elections 2006 South Carolina state elections References External links Tommy Moore (D) for Governor Mark Sanford (R) for Governor Dennis Aughtry (D) for Governor 2006 South Carolina Contest Results