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Former South Carolina governor and two-time congressman Mark Sanford – who ran a Quixotic presidential primary campaign against Donald Trump in 2020 – is reportedly eyeing a return to politics.
The embattled “Luv Gov,” whose chaotic personal life continues to overshadow his erstwhile limited government ideology, has not held office since January 3, 2019. According to our sources, though, he is eager to return to the arena – perhaps as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
“I am still called to serve,” Sanford told a small group of supporters during a recent dinner, a source who attended the gathering confirmed to this media outlet.
Many South Carolinians hope he will decide not to answer that call…
Sanford, 64, served three terms in the U.S. congress from 1995-2001. After making good on his term limit pledge (one of the few politicians to walk the walk on that issue), he was elected governor of South Carolina in 2002 and served two terms.
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During his second term, Sanford was poised to be one of the leading 2012 GOP presidential prospects. His national ascendency collapsed, however, when he was caught traveling to South America to visit his mistress, María Belén Chapur.
Sanford’s saga began on Monday, June 22, 2009 when one of his political rivals – then-state senator Jake Knotts – announced the Palmetto State’s chief executive had been missing for the past four days and that his security detail had no idea where he was.
Sanford proceeded to lie about his whereabouts to his staff – telling them he was “hiking the Appalachian Trail.” His staff in turn provided inaccurate information to the press and the public. From there, things unraveled quickly … with the governor’s habitual navel-gazing about his emotions (and his relationship status) providing much of the momentum for his downfall.
At a memorable press conference on June 24, 2009, a teary-eyed Sanford confessed to his affair with Chapur.
“I spent the last five days of my life crying in Argentina,” he said. “I hurt her. I hurt you all. I hurt my wife. I hurt my boys. I hurt friends … I hurt a lot of different folks.”
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The dramatic events that imploded Sanford’s political career were recently revisited by CNN’s Jake Tapper as part of a new documentary series entitled United States of Scandal.
As for Sanford, he bounced back from political oblivion in the spring of 2013 when he won a special election to the same U.S. congressional seat he’d previously held. Unfortunately, Sanford 2.0 was a far cry from the principled reformer who’d previously graced the halls of congress – showing a penchant for selling out as opposed to standing fast.
GOP voters showed him the door in the 2018 primary, and subsequently ignored his 2020 presidential flirtation.
What office is Sanford reportedly seeking this go-round? Sources say he has expressed interest in running for the U.S. Senate – although the Palmetto State’s junior senator Tim Scott appears to be staying put, as does its senior senator Lindsey Graham.
What sort of path does that leave Sanford? Not much of one… especially considering his candidacy would doubtless draw incoming fire from Trump.
Bottom line? Mark Sanford may not be done with politics… but politics certainly appears to be done with Mark Sanford.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.
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9 comments
Despite his foibles and his sometimes eccentric ways, Mark is a damn fine man. If you are his friend, he will risk his very career to help you. I know firsthand.
I would walk through the fires of Hell to help him if he needed help.
BS
Sanford performed his elected duties competently but the eminence grise behind the man was always Jenny. Once he screwed that relationship up he became a boat adrift and was ultimately whipped by Arrington who was then whipped by an even worse choice, the “Ocean Engineer” Cunningham.
The subtitle stole my comment!!
In 2016, I met with Mark Sanford, before is re-election run for Congress. I told him I had two things I wanted to speak with him about, one his lack of support for Donald Trump, although the voters of his district and the State of SC had overwhelmingly voted Trump as their Presidential Nominee and secondly an issue with Civil Service retirees and Social Security.
He assured me that he would address the Social Security issue if he were returned to Congress and that he would support and endorse Donald Trump. To make this short, he did neither! After telling me he would support Trump, since I made it clear that he was elected to represent the State of SC and not his personal feelings, he did nothing until the 11th hour. Finally on the Monday before the November 2016 election, he PERSONALLY called me and said, did you see where I gave my support to Trump over the weekend?
Nothing ever came of the Social Security problem and he never returned any of my subsequent calls or messages and NEVER said anything positive about Trump again. Sanford is a liar, and will do or say anything for one thing, to obtain your support and vote. I hope does run for political office again, so that the people of SC can soundly defeat the liar.
Election results for the Presidential contest in S.C. two weeks ago tells you all you need to know about the state’s toleration for liars.
I could potentially vote for Sanford over Graham, but not over Scott.
His family values seem practically Puritan by current Republican standards.
Sanford was and is a total disgrace