Disgraced Mark Sanford to run for House seat

Disgraced Mark Sanford to run for House seat

Erik Campos/The State via Reuters

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford wipes his eyes as he speaks to the media about his trip to Argentina and admits to an extramarital affair at the State House in Columbia.

Disgraced former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is hoping that the campaign trail will pick up where the Appalachian one left off. 

Two and a half years after revelations of an extramarital affair ended his political career, Sanford is poised to announce that he will seek an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, The Weekly Standard reported. 

Citing sources close to Sanford, The Weekly Standard said that the former governor will announce his candidacy early next week, before the Jan. 18 filing deadline for those who wish to run in a special election to fill the vacant seat of Tim Scott.

Scott was appointed by current Gov. Nikki Haley to fill the Senate seat of Jim DeMint, who retired in 2012 in order to run the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation.  

While governor, Sanford mysteriously dropped from public view on June 18, 2009, and was not heard from for six days. Sanford had told his staff that he had gone hiking on the Appalachian Trail, but it was later revealed he had traveled to Buenos Aires, where he was having an affair with Argentine journalist Maria Belen Chapur.

Though the revelations did not keep Sanford from finishing out his term as governor, they did quash his aspirations of entering the 2012 presidential race. 

On a more personal level, Sanford’s wife, Jenny, filed for divorce, putting an end to the couple’s 21-year marriage. 

Sanford is now engaged to Chapur, but in another twist of fate, Jenny Sanford is one of several other Republicans said to be considering running for Scott’s seat.