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Mark Sanford, a former South Carolina Republican governor and congressman, is dropping out of his latest bid to win back his former seat just a month after announcing his candidacy.
Instead, he will establish a non-profit organization focused on tackling the national debt.
Sanford, 65, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he is winding down his campaign to focus on fighting the debt and deficit.
“After much thought, I have come to the conclusion that the most effective way I can contribute right now is not by seeking office, but by helping to build a broader organization focused on the country’s financial future,” he said in a press release. “The debt and deficit crisis is not a Republican problem or a Democratic problem — it’s an American problem. And it’s one that requires continued pressure for change.”
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Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is shown in a 2019 photo. She is being accused by the ex-boyfriend of a political journalist for alleged romantic involvement. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
The organization will operate as a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) and will focus on building a grassroots network across the country aimed at changing the current state of financial education. Sanford noted that when her first grandchild was on the way, she also realized she wanted to spend more time with her family.
The decision came a month after Sanford entered the primary on the last day to file to regain his former House seat.
Sanford served three terms in Congress before serving as Governor of South Carolina. However, his tenure was marred by scandal in 2009 when he disappeared in Argentina to visit his wife; at that time, neither his staff nor his wife knew where he was.
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Gov. Mark Sanford speaks on stage during Politicon 2019 at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 26, 2019. On Thursday, Sanford announced the end of his congressional campaign in favor of starting a non-profit organization to tackle the national debt. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
While Sanford survived impeachment attempts and refused calls to resign, his wife, Jenny Sanford, moved out of the governor’s mansion, moved into the family’s beach house with their four sons, and filed for divorce.
Sanford finally won his old seat in a 2013 special election, defeating 15 other candidates. He served two full terms before losing his 2018 primary to a GOP challenger backed by then-President Donald Trump.
His former seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace.
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As of Tuesday, the national debt stands at more than $38.9 trillion, according to the Treasury Department. That includes more than $31.2 trillion in public debt and more than $7.6 trillion in federal assets.
“The collapse of our nation’s financial education is what led me to enter this race, and it is what made me stay in politics,” said Sanford. “I want to make a difference here, and as I started to get back into the political world, it started to hit me how all the big changes in Washington happened because of outside pressure.”
