Mark Sanford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Sanford
Official portrait, 2013
115th Governor of South Carolina
In office January 15, 2003 – January 12, 2011
Lieutenant	André Bauer
Preceded by	Jim Hodges
Succeeded by	Nikki Haley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 1st district
In office May 15, 2013 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Tim Scott
Succeeded by	Joe Cunningham
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Arthur Ravenel
Succeeded by	Henry Brown
Personal details
Born	Marshall Clement Sanford Jr. (1960-05-28) May 28, 1960 (age 65) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Jennifer Sullivan ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 2010)​
Children	4
Education	Furman University (BA) University of Virginia (MBA)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Years of service	2003–2013
Rank	Captain
Unit	315th Airlift Wing 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron Charleston Air Force Base Air Force Reserve Command

Mark Sanford (born May 28, 1960) is an American politician and author. He served as a U.S. representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district twice. First, from 1995 to 2001, and then from 2013 to 2019. He was also the 115th governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011. Sanford is a member of the Republican Party.

Sanford was first elected to Congress in 1994. He represented his district in the United States House of Representatives for three terms. He chose not to run for a fourth term. Instead, he focused on becoming governor. In 2002, he won the election against the current governor, Jim Hodges. Sanford was re-elected governor in 2006. As governor, he tried to refuse federal money for South Carolina from a 2009 economic recovery plan. However, the South Carolina Supreme Court decided that only the state legislature could accept or decline these funds.

In June 2009, Sanford's whereabouts were unknown for nearly a week. He later admitted to a personal issue. This led to his censure by the South Carolina General Assembly. He also resigned as chair of the Republican Governors Association. Despite this, Sanford finished his second term as governor.

Sanford ran for Congress again in a 2013 special election for his old seat. He won and served until 2019. He lost his re-election bid in 2018. In September 2019, Sanford announced he would run for president in 2020. He later stopped his campaign on November 12, 2019.

Early Life and Education

Mark Sanford was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His father was a heart surgeon. His family moved to Coosaw Plantation near Beaufort, South Carolina, before his last year of high school. Sanford earned the rank of Eagle Scout. This is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.

Sanford studied business at Furman University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983. He then received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Virginia in 1988.

Sanford married Jenny Sullivan in 1989. They had four sons. In 1992, Sanford started his own real estate company. It was called Norton and Sanford Real Estate Investment.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives (1995–2001)

First Time in Congress

Sanford in 1999

In 1994, Sanford ran for the United States House of Representatives. This was for the 1st Congressional District in South Carolina. The seat was open because the current representative, Arthur Ravenel, decided not to run again. Sanford had never run for office before. He won the Republican primary and then the general election. He defeated Democratic candidate Robert A. Barber Jr..

Sanford ran unopposed by major party candidates in 1996 and 1998. He won easily in both elections.

Key Actions in Congress

While in Congress, Sanford was known for being very careful with government spending. Groups like the Cato Institute and the National Tax Payers Union recognized him for this. He worked to control government spending and reduce the national debt. He often voted against projects that spent a lot of money, even if they would help his own district. For example, in 1997, he voted against a bill that included money for Charleston's harbor.

Sanford believed in serving for a limited time. He had promised to serve only three terms in the House. Because of this promise, he did not run for re-election in 2000.

Committees He Served On

• Committee on International Relations
• Committee on Government Reform
• Committee on Science
• Joint Economic Committee

Governor of South Carolina (2003–2011)

Becoming Governor

In 2002, Mark Sanford decided to run for governor. He first won the Republican primary. Then, he defeated the current Democratic governor, Jim Hodges. Sanford became the 115th governor of South Carolina. This was the first time since the Reconstruction Era that Republicans controlled the state government.

First Term as Governor

Sanford sometimes had disagreements with the South Carolina General Assembly. This was even though his own party controlled it. In 2004, the state House of Representatives overturned most of his budget vetoes. To protest, Sanford brought live pigs into the House chamber. This was to show his opposition to what he called "pork projects" (spending on local projects that might not be necessary).

In 2003, Sanford wanted to change the state's public college system. He thought schools focused too much on research and not enough on teaching students. He suggested they combine some programs to lower tuition costs. The schools did not like this idea.

Sanford's approval ratings were generally positive during his first term.

Re-election in 2006

Sanford ran for re-election in 2006. He won the Republican primary. In the November election, he defeated state senator Tommy Moore. Sanford won by a large margin, with 55% of the vote.

Second Term as Governor

Sanford disagreed with some laws passed by his own party. For example, he opposed license plates that promoted faith. He believed that faith should be shown through how one lives, not just on a license plate.

Sanford strongly opposed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the federal stimulus. He initially said he might not accept all the money for South Carolina. Many people criticized him for this. They pointed out South Carolina's high unemployment rate. They felt the stimulus money could help the state's economy. On March 11, 2009, Sanford formally rejected a part of the federal stimulus money. He later agreed to accept the money if the state legislature would use matching funds to pay down state debt.

Sanford encouraged Nikki Haley to run as his successor. He also campaigned for her.

Disappearance and Political Impact (2009)

From June 18 to June 24, 2009, Governor Sanford's location was unknown. His staff, his family, and state security did not know where he was. This mystery gained national attention. Sanford had told his staff he was going hiking.

When he returned, Sanford held a news conference. He admitted to a personal issue. This led to political consequences. He resigned as Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. The South Carolina General Assembly also voted to censure him in January 2010. This meant they formally disapproved of his actions.

After these events, Sanford's approval ratings in South Carolina dropped. Many people thought he should resign. However, he completed his second term as governor.

Vetoes as Governor

During his time as governor, Sanford vetoed 278 bills. A veto is when a governor rejects a bill passed by the legislature. Out of these, 213 (77%) were overturned by the legislature. This means the legislature voted to pass the bill despite his veto.

Time Away from Politics (2011–2012)

Then-Governor Mark Sanford speaking at an event in September 2010.

After his term as governor ended in January 2011, Sanford moved to his family farm. Later, he moved to a condominium in Charleston, South Carolina. He described this time as quiet and spiritual. He developed a life approach that included daily quiet time and practicing mindfulness.

In October 2011, Sanford began working as a political contributor for Fox News Channel.

Return to the U.S. House of Representatives (2013–2019)

Special Election in 2013

In December 2012, Sanford considered running for his old congressional seat. The previous representative, Tim Scott, had been appointed to the United States Senate. Sanford announced his intention to run in early 2013. He quickly became a leading candidate due to his name recognition.

During the campaign, a personal issue arose. His former wife filed a complaint against him. Sanford admitted he had gone to her house to watch a football game with his son. He said he had tried to contact her beforehand. Despite this, the National Republican Congressional Committee withdrew some support from his campaign.

However, Sanford still received endorsements from many political figures. These included Nikki Haley, John Boehner, and Ron Paul. On May 7, 2013, Sanford was elected back to the U.S. House of Representatives. He won with 54.04% of the vote.

Later Elections

Sanford ran unopposed for re-election in 2014. In 2016, he won his primary election and was re-elected to Congress.

In 2018, President Donald Trump criticized Sanford on Twitter. Trump endorsed Sanford's opponent, Katie Arrington. Arrington defeated Sanford in the Republican primary. This meant Sanford lost his bid for re-election. After his loss, Sanford became a teaching fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.

His Work in Congress

Sanford was sworn into office on May 15, 2013.

In 2014, Sanford introduced a bill to review how the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) classifies its employees. He believed some employees were paid more for jobs they were not doing. He said fixing this could save the government $17 million a year.

Sanford often spoke out against President Donald Trump. He said Trump represented "the undoing of everything I thought I knew about politics." An analysis showed that Sanford voted with Trump less often than most other Republican House members. He criticized Trump's travel ban in 2017. He also urged Congress to ask for Trump's tax returns. However, in his 2018 re-election campaign, Sanford said he had voted with Trump "89 percent of the time." He also supported Trump's idea for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

On May 4, 2017, Sanford voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). He voted to pass the American Health Care Act of 2017.

Committees He Served On

• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications
  • Subcommittee on Transportation Security
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
  • Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

Groups He Joined

• Liberty Caucus
• Freedom Caucus
• Republican Study Committee
• United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
• Climate Solutions Caucus

Involvement in Presidential Elections

2008 Presidential Election

Before the 2006 elections, some people thought Sanford might run for president. He said he would not run. He also claimed his re-election bid for governor would be his last election. In 2008, Sanford was mentioned as a possible running mate for John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate. Sanford publicly supported McCain.

Sanford wrote an article in a Columbia newspaper in January 2008. He said he would not vote for Barack Obama for president. But he also noted the historical importance of Obama's early success, especially in South Carolina. He advised voters not to vote for or against Obama based on his race.

2012 Presidential Election

There was early talk that Sanford might run for president in 2012. He was elected Chairman of the Republican Governors Association in November 2008. He was also called a "rising star" in the Republican Party.

However, after the events of June 2009, many believed his chances of running for president in 2012 ended. In January 2010, Sanford stated clearly that he was "not running for president." He said he would enter the private sector after his term as governor.

2016 Presidential Election

Sanford did not endorse Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

2020 Presidential Campaign

On July 16, 2019, Sanford said he was interested in challenging Trump for the presidency in 2020. He was concerned about the nation's finances. He formally launched his campaign on September 8, 2019. He ran for the Republican nomination.

On November 12, 2019, Sanford announced he was stopping his campaign.

Election Results

*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1994, write-ins received 63 votes. In 1998, write-ins received 71 votes. In 2013, write-ins received 383 votes.

Images for kids

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  Mark Sanford's signature

See also

In Spanish: Mark Sanford para niños