COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina congressman and governor whose political ascendency was stalled by a 2009 affair, wants to return to Congress — again.
Just hours ahead of the deadline to do so, Sanford filed candidacy paperwork with state officials to run in the June 9 GOP primary for South Carolina’s 1st District seat, which he has held twice before.
Sanford’s first political office was in the 1st District. An outsider with almost no name recognition, he navigated a primary for the open seat, finishing second before winning the runoff. He served for six years before his outside run at governor, again pushing his way through a crowded primary, then knocking off the last Democrat to hold the office.
However, his eight years in office were overshadowed by personal scandal; his absence from South Carolina during a critical time became widely known as the “Appalachian Trail” incident. He was in Argentina visiting his lover while his family and staff were left unaware of his whereabouts.
Despite facing an ethics inquiry and calls for resignation, Sanford managed to leave office on his own terms.
In 2013, he successfully reclaimed his old seat in Congress, beating out 15 other candidates in a primary and runoff. He served two additional full terms before losing to a GOP challenger in 2018, who had the backing of then-President Donald Trump.
Following his exit, the 1st District seat flipped to Democratic hands for the first time in decades, with Republican Rep. Nancy Mace winning it back in 2020. Mace is now running for governor this year, leaving the seat open for potential new candidates.
Sanford, now 65, briefly ran for president in 2020, positioning himself as a long-shot challenger to Trump, focusing on issues like the national debt. His campaign was met with skepticism, with some former staffers questioning its seriousness. Ultimately, he dropped out just before the New Hampshire primary, as South Carolina opted not to hold a GOP presidential primary that year, paving the way for Trump’s nomination.
In a recent email release regarding his candidacy, Sanford emphasized his commitment to addressing the national debt, stating that he believes voters in the 1st District want a representative who advocates for “financial sanity that has been lost in Washington for all too long.”
Since leaving Congress, Sanford has maintained over $1.3 million in a federal campaign account, funds which he can utilize in a competitive primary that already features multiple Republican and Democratic candidates.
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Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
