Mark Sanford
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mark Sanford | |
 Sanford's portrait from the House of Representatives |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 15, 2003 |
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| Lieutenant(s) | André Bauer |
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| Preceded by | James Hovis Hodges |
| Succeeded by | Incumbent |
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| Born | May 28, 1960 (age 46) Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jenny Sanford |
| Profession | Real Estate |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford, Jr. (born May 28, 1960) is an American Republican politician who has been Governor of South Carolina since 2003.
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[edit] Early life
Before his senior year of high school, Mark moved with his family to a 3000 acre Coosaw Plantation near Beaufort, South Carolina from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he grew up. Sanford attained the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.[1] He received a bachelor's degree from Furman University and an MBA from Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia. Mark moved to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina in the early 1990s with his wife Jenny and their four boys, Marshall, Landon, Bolton, and Blake.
[edit] Congress
He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, representing the Charleston based 1st Congressional District from 1995 to 2001. While in Congress, he was an advocate for Social Security privatization and restoring U.S. trade ties with Cuba. In 2000, he chose not to run again, in accordance with his pledge, not to serve more than three terms.
[edit] Governor of South Carolina
[edit] First term
He entered the gubernatorial election of 2002; he first defeated Lt. Gov. Bob Peeler in the Republican primary and then defeated the Democratic incumbent, Jim Hodges, in the general election, by a margin of 53% to 47% to become the 115th Governor of South Carolina. In accordance with South Carolina law, Sanford was elected separately from the state's Republican lieutenant governor, Andre Bauer.
Governor Sanford has sometimes had a contentious relationship with the SC General Assembly, even though it has been controlled by his own party since 1995. The Republican-led SC House of Representatives overrode 105 of Sanford's 106 budget vetoes on May 26, 2004.[2] The following day, Sanford brought live pigs into the House chamber as a visual protest against "pork projects".[3] The pigs defecated on the House lobby floor.
Sanford rejected the Assembly's entire budget on June 13, 2006. Had this veto stood, the state government would have shut down on July 1. The governor explained his veto as being the only way to get the cuts he desired, and that using the line item veto would have been inadequate as well as impossible. However, in a special session the following day, both houses dismissed Sanford's call for reform by overriding his veto -effectively restoring their original budget (which indeed contained many reforms Sanford had previously called for).
Sanford professes to be a firm supporter of limited government, and many pundits have described his views as being libertarian in nature. There are several Internet based groups trying to convince him to run for president in 2008. Most recently, he has embarked on an ambitious plan to reform methods of funding the state's public education system. This would include measures such as school vouchers -aimed at introducing more competition into the school system as a means of fostering improvement. This would also allow more choice for parents who wish for their children to be educated in a religious or independent setting easier access at doing so. The plan, known as "Put Parents In Charge," would provide around $2,500 per child to parents who chose to withdraw their children from the state's public school system and instead send them to religious and other independent schools. Sanford has framed this plan as a necessary market based reform.
Sanford has also sought to reform the state's public college system. Schools such as Clemson University and the University of South Carolina have repeatedly increased tuition yearly, making them the costliest schools on average in the South.[citation needed] They claim these increases are necessary to encourage research projects and development due to the State Legislature not fully funding them. Sanford has criticized these schools as focusing too much on separately creating research institutions and not on educating the young adults of South Carolina. Sanford has suggested that they combine some programs as a means of curbing tuition increases. The schools did not respond positively to this suggestion, however, causing Sanford to remark that if they do not like the idea of change then the schools could "go private."[citation needed]
Sanford's tenure has not been free of controversy. He was criticized for missing a budget debate and was harshly criticized by a Greenville News article for delays in signing a piece of domestic violence legislation.[4] A Time Magazine article critical of Sanford, cited that some "fear his thrift has brought the state's economy to a standstill."[5]
Sanford's approval rating ranges from 47% to 55% over the past year according to Survey USA.[6]
[edit] Reelection and second term
The campaign for South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2006 began by Sanford winning the June 13th Republican Primary over Oscar Lovelace, a family physician from Prosperity, with 65 percent of the vote to Lovelace's 35. His Democratic competition in the November elections was state senator Tommy Moore, who won the Democratic primary. Sanford won re-election, beating Democrat Tommy Moore by 55%-45%.[7]
On election day, Sanford was not allowed to vote in his home precinct because he did not have his voter registration card. The governor was obliged to go to a voter registration office to get a new registration card. "I hope everybody else out there is as determined to vote as I was today," he said. Sanford's driver's license had a Columbia address, but Sanford was trying to vote at his home precinct in Sullivan's Island.[8] According to NBC, Mark Sanford has declared that this will be his last campaign.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ Townley, Alvin [2006-12-26]. Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts. New York: St. Martin's Press, pp. 100-101, 107. ISBN 0-312-36653-1. Retrieved on 2006-12-29.
- ^ http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/politics/8769969.htm
- ^ http://greenvilleonline.com/news/2004/05/27/2004052732244.htm
- ^ http://greenvilleonline.com/news/opinion/2003/07/31/2003073111332.htm
- ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129549,00.html
- ^ Survey USA poll
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/SC/G/00/
- ^ http://www.forbes.com/business/services/feeds/ap/2006/11/07/ap3152452.html
- ^ http://www.nbc26news.com/news/local/4582991.html
[edit] External links
- South Carolina Office of the Governor Mark Sanford official state site
- National Governors Association - South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford biography
- Follow the Money - Mark Sanford 2006 campaign contributions
- On the Issues - Mark Sanford issue positions and quotes
- Project Vote Smart - Governor Mark Sanford (SC) profile
Campaign sites
- Sanford for Governor official campaign site
- Draft Mark Sanford for President grassroots draft site
- Republican Liberty Caucus - Marshall 'Mark' Sanford endorsement for Governor
- Vote Sanford unofficial blog
U.S. Representative (1994-2006)
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Federal Election Commission - Marshall C sanford Jr campaign finance reports and data
- Open Secrets
- OpenSecrets.org - Mark Sanford 2002 Fund Raising summary data
- OpenSecrets.org - Mark Sanford 2000 Member of Congress campaign contributions
- OpenSecrets.org - Mark Sanford 1998 Member of Congress campaign contributions
- OpenSecrets.org - Mark Sanford 1996 Member of Congress campaign contributions
- OpenSecrets.org - Mark Sanford 1994 Member of Congress campaign contributions
- OpenSecrets.org - Mark Sanford 1998 Race race profile
- Washington Post - Congress Votes Database: Mark Sanford voting record
- Congressional Records
- THOMAS 106th Congress (1999-2000)
- THOMAS 105th Congress (1997-1998)
- THOMAS 104th Congress (1995-1996)
- Statements
- Open Session On The Western Hemisphere Today: A Roundtable Discussion, Hearing Before The Subcommittee On The Western Hemisphere Of The Committee On International Relations, House Of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, First Session, March 12, 1997
- The Caribbean: An Overview Hearing Before The Subcommittee On The Western Hemisphere Of The Committee On International Relations House Of Representatives One Hundred Fifth Congress First Session May 14, 1997
- The President's Foreign Assistance Budget Request For Fiscal Year 1999 Hearing Before The Committee On International Relations House Of Representatives One Hundred Fifth Congress Second Session March 5, 1998
- Latin America And The Caribbean: An Update And Summary Of The Summit Of The Americas Hearing Before The Subcommittee On The Western Hemisphere Of The Committee On International Relations House Of Representatives One Hundred Fifth Congress Second Session May 6, 1998
- Franchise Fee Calculations Of Fort Sumter Tours, Inc. Oversight Hearing Before The Subcommittee On National Parks And Public Lands Of The Committee On Resources House Of Representatives One Hundred Sixth Congress First Session July 1, 1999, Washington, Dc Serial No. 106–44
- Reform of the IMF and the World Bank: Hearing before the Joint Economic Committee Congress of the United States, 106th Congress, Second Session, April 12, 2000 Sanford's remarks begin on page 32. 1.1 MB PDF
- The Center For National Policy: Issues in U.S.-Cuba Policy, Washington D.C., November 2000 Sanford speaks in favor of lifting U.S. embargo of Cuba. 314 KB PDF
| Preceded by Arthur Ravenel, Jr. |
United States Representative for the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina 1995–2001 |
Succeeded by Henry E. Brown, Jr. |
| Preceded by James Hovis Hodges |
Governor of South Carolina 2003 – present |
Incumbent |
| Governors of South Carolina |  |
|---|---|
| J. Rutledge • Lowndes • J. Rutledge • Mathews • Guerard • Moultrie • T. Pinckney • C. Pinckney • Moultrie • Vanderhorst • C. Pinckney • E. Rutledge • Drayton • J. Richardson • P. Hamilton • C. Pinckney • Drayton • Middleton • Alston • D. Williams • A. Pickens • Geddes • Bennett • Wilson • Manning I • Taylor • Miller • J. Hamilton • Hayne • McDuffie • Butler • Noble • Henagan • Richardson II • Hammond • Aiken • Johnson • Seabrook • Means • J. Manning • Adams • Allston • Gist • F. Pickens • Bonham • Magrath • Perry • Orr • Scott • Moses • Chamberlain • Hampton • Simpson • Jeter • Hagood • Thompson • Sheppard • Richardson III • Tillman • Evans • Ellerbe • McSweeney • Heyward • Ansel • Blease • Smith • Manning III • Cooper • Harvey • McLeod • Richards • Blackwood • Johnston • Maybank • Harley • Jefferies • Johnston • R. Williams • Thurmond • Byrnes • Timmerman • Hollings • Russell • McNair • West • Edwards • Riley • Campbell • Beasley • Hodges • Sanford |
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Governors of South Carolina | Members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina | South Carolina Republicans | Intelligent design advocates | American Episcopalians | Anglican politicians | Eagle Scouts | 1960 births | Living people
