Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina governor and congressman, has filed to run for his old congressional seat, marking a potential political resurrection nearly two decades after a scandal derailed his national ambitions.
The filing comes six years after Sanford mounted a presidential campaign, a period in which he largely retreated from the public spotlight. His previous exit from politics followed a high-profile affair that upended his career when he was serving as governor.
Sanford represented South Carolina's 1st Congressional District before moving to statewide office. He later returned to Congress briefly before stepping away from electoral politics altogether. The intervening years saw him work in real estate and maintain a lower profile than during his days as a prominent Republican figure.
The comeback attempt arrives at a moment when his party is competing fiercely for House control. Whether voters in his Charleston-area district will embrace a return to politics by someone whose tenure ended in turmoil remains unclear. The district leans Republican, which could work in Sanford's favor in a general election, but primary opposition could prove formidable.
Political observers will be watching to gauge whether significant time away and changed circumstances allow Sanford to successfully reframe his public image. Comebacks in American politics are rare, particularly for those whose departures were tied to personal scandal rather than voluntary retirement or advancement.
Sanford has not issued public statements about his policy positions or campaign platform since filing for the race.
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