Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford launches Senate campaign in Bluffton

by Fletcher Johnson

BLUFFTON, S.C. (WTOC) - Former South Carolina Governor and Congressman Mark Sanford has officially joined the Republican primary race to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the late Lindsey Graham.

Sanford launched his campaign close to home, visiting the Bluffton Farmers Market on Thursday to speak with voters and members of the press.

Sanford said his platform centers entirely on affordability. When asked about his primary concerns, he focused heavily on reigning in government spending and reducing bureaucratic bloat.

“The reality is that people are struggling out there,” Sanford said. “There is an affordability crisis in this country. And what we’ve—you know—I’ve talked for a long time about how we can’t go on spending money as we are. You can’t spend more than you’re taking in as a family, as a business, and for that matter as a country.”

Sanford also expressed frustration with how the Senate currently operates, specifically noting his disagreement with the practice of introducing thousand-page bills with too short of a window for lawmakers to read them. He also discussed how local zoning laws impact the current housing crisis.

Sanford is one of nine candidates running in the Republican primary. The other candidates seeking the open seat are: