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| Former Republican South Carolina governor Mark Sanford is trying to restart career. |
The disgraced former governor of South Carolina is fighting for redemption. He's taking on a famous celebrity's sister in the fight for a politically conservative U.S. congressional district, once held by him, and the former Tim Scott.
He is facing Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, a the Director of Business Development at Clemson University’s Restoration Institute. She is the sister of Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert.
Colbert being one of the most recognizable names in pop culture has made this race even more tighter.
Sanford is fighting for political life. And this political fight may come out to be a nail-biter to say at least.
The first district is a strongly Republican district. No Democrat has ever this area in over 30 years.
As governor, Sanford had a contentious relationship with the South Carolina legislature: notably, he made public statements that he would reject stimulus funds for his state from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
He wasn't a popular governor. He often clashed with the even members of the South Carolina state house when it came to issues because he stood on his "family valued" conservative principles.
The congressional seat was held by Henry Brown, a conservative Republican. But due to the ongoing issues with Congress and fatigue, he retired and Tim Scott went on to take the mantle. Tim Scott served one term before Republican governor Nikki Haley chose him as a senator.
Scott was the representative of that district. He was promoted to become the Republican U.S. Senator after Jim DeMint resigned to take over The Heritage Foundation. Scott, is the first African American politico in the U.S. Seante since Senator Roland Burris of Illinois. He and Massachusetts Mo Cowan, the Democrat make the only two Black senators in 113th Congress. Cowan will retire after the special election in Massachusetts. Scott intents on running for the remainder of the term.
Anyways, as her duty Republican governor Nikki Haley ordered a special election for the open seat.
Sanford, a former governor and representative himself written his political future in disgrace. He made a bogus claim that he was taking a hike in the Appalachian Mountains with staffers. Unbeknownst to the public and his wife, he was secretly traveling to Argentina to meet his mistress (and future baby mama).
He was a married man with four children, why would he travel to another country?
His excuse, he was in love! Of course, we understand. But the junk food media knew what's up!
He was floated around as a potential candidate for the Republican nomination in 2012. Alas, that was squashed and the Republicans allowed the perennial loser Mitt Romney to sent them to defeat.
Sanford and later former presidential candidate John Edwards ended up making the news for all the wrong reasons. Besides being caught up in romantic trysts, the politicos were pretty much written out of
His political adviser and strategist was his wife Jenny, the rock of his life for 20 years was betrayed by this guy who found interest in María Belén Chapur, a news reporter from Argentina. He would eventually leave the state house and travel to the penthouse.
This would eventually end their marriage. Jenny was often floated around as a potential contender for the Republican vacancy, but alas, she wanted no part of it. So here comes the ex-husband and his smoking hot girlfriend and the path to redemption election push.
To say that Sanford's legal and political woes are over is an understatement. The Republican National Committee abruptly pulled all support from the Sanford campaign in the wake of revelations that Jenny Sanford had filed a trespassing complaint against him on February 4.
According to the complaint, Jenny Sanford had caught her former husband sneaking out of her home in Sullivan's Island, using his cellphone as a flashlight. Under the terms of their divorce agreement, neither Mark nor Jenny Sanford may come to the other's house without permission--a condition Jenny Sanford alleged that Mark Sanford had flouted on numerous occasions despite Jenny Sanford filing a "no trespass" letter with the Sullivan's Island Police Department.
In a statement, Mark Sanford admitted that he'd gone to the house to watch the second half of Super Bowl XLVII with his son. He claimed to have tried to contact Jenny beforehand, but was unable to do so. Jenny Sanford filed the complaint the next morning. Several Republican operatives said that they were upset Sanford had known about this complaint for some time and failed to disclose it.
Sanford actually debated a cardboard cutout of Minority Leader Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-California) in an attempt to paint Colbert-Busch as a devoted follower of the Democratic leader.
Larry Flynt, publisher of adult themed Hustler Magazine endorsed Mark Sanford for Congress saying "His open embrace of his mistress in the name of love, breaking his sacred marriage vows, was an act of bravery that has drawn my support."
Republicans cautiously endorsed him for the seat. But if the polls say that Colbert-Busch is slightly ahead of the embattled Sanford, it's going to be a major upset.
In their only debate, Colbert-Busch knocked the former governor over his trip and reckless behavior. The embattled Sanford ignored it and tired to zero in on the experience of the candidate as well as the celebrity of "Hollywood Elites" such as Stephen Colbert.
This is one of the most memorable races ever! For the fact that a scandal prone governor faces the sister of an American comedian is quite entertaining (only if there wasn't these jokers running for office, it would be funny)!
