The Shot!

In what has shocked many in the political community, State Senator Tommy Moore has stepped down from the Senate according to the Aiken Standard.  Tommy Moore was one of the SC Democratic Party’s biggest stars.  He was the Democratic nominee for Governor last cycle.  Moore says he is leaving the Senate because he is leaving SC for a job opportunity.  Here’s the story:

Aiken Standard - Tommy Moore resigns
Sun, Jul 8, 2007

By JEFFREY B. WALLACE Aiken Standard editor

Tommy L. Moore, a 29-year member of the state legislature, has resigned from the South Carolina Senate.

Moore told the Aiken Standard that he submitted his resignation to Sen. Glenn McConnell, president pro tempore of the Senate, on Saturday effective immediately.

He is leaving to pursue a business opportunity that will take him out of state.

“This has been a very difficult, difficult decision,” Moore said of leaving the Senate.

“I will be considering an offer in the next several days,” he said. “I would not consider a written offer while I’m in office.”

He would not comment on the nature of the business until he signs the written offer. He did say it would require a move to the Alexandria, Va., area for up to three years if the negotiations are completed successfully.

Moore, a Democrat from Clearwater, began his tenure in state office in the S.C. House in 1979. In 1981 he was elected to the Senate where he remained until Saturday’s resignation. In 2006 he ran an unsuccessful campaign for S.C. governor, losing to incumbent Gov. Mark Sanford in the geneeral election. Before that he ran for the Third District Congressional seat in 1994 but was unsuccessful in the Democratic primary.

The people of District 25, which includes Aiken, Edgefield, McCormick and Saluda counties, will be among those Moore will miss as he leaves office.

“The bond that was there for me and the people, it’s nothing you can describe sufficiently,” he said. “I can’t express it adequately that people put their trust in me.

“People came to me and told me they didn’t know where else to go,” he said. “I never took that lightly.”

Moore expressed his gratitude to the other members of the Aiken County Legislative Delegation with whom he worked.

“I have profound respect for every one of them,” he said. “I know what sacrifices they make. We have not always agreed on everything, but we have always put Aiken County first.”

Moore said he decided to step down at this point in the year to ensure that his district will have representation when the legislative session opens in January. A special election will be held to fill the vacancy.

Owner of Boiler Efficiency Inc., in Clearwater, Moore said that the position he is interested in will have no effect on his Aiken County business. While he and his wife, Dale, are officers in the company, he said that staff members have shown the ability to operate the company effectively without his daily attention.

Making his decision even more difficult, Moore said, was his close ties to family. With two grandchildren living nearby, Moore said he will feel their tug on his heart when he leaves South Carolina. This position, however, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Moore said, and he will use the technology of the day to keep in touch as well as frequent flights south on weekends to keep close to family.

In the Senate, Moore served on the following committees: Ethics; Fish, Game and Forestry; Judiciary; Labor, Commerce and Industry; Medical Affairs; and Rules.

He was known in the Senate as a compromiser who worked with members of both parties to seek passage of important legislation. Public education was one of his driving passions while in office.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 8th, 2007 at 2:24 pm and is filed under State Politics, Top Shelf News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.