Republicans Abandon Mark Sanford Over Charges That He Trespassed At His Ex-Wife's House
Politico scoops today that Republicans were caught off guard by the news, and believe Sanford's chances of winning were unlikely.
The National Republican Congressional Committee, which provides funding to GOP candidates, is now pulling its funding from his campaign against Elizabeth Colbert Busch, the Democratic candidate running against Sanford in South Carolina's 1st district special election.
“Mark Sanford has proven he knows what it takes to win elections," Andrea Bozek, an NRCC spokeswoman, told Politico. "At this time, the NRCC will not be engaged in this special election."
Sanford, whose political career was first derailed by a 2009 sex scandal during his tenure as governor, was already locked in a close race with Colbert Busch. The loss of party funding will likely be a major setback for his campaign, as it enters the home stretch before the May 7 election.
“This is an unfortunate situation but this is what happens when candidates aren’t honest and withhold information,” one Republican operative told Politico.
When asked for comment on the impact the incident is having on her ex-husband's campaign, Jenny Sanford told The State, "The race is not a concern. I am focused on raising my children.”