Morning Digest: Mark Sanford could emerge from the wilderness for one more campaign

One of Trump's least-favorite Republicans is reportedly eyeing a return to the office where he became nationally infamous

Mark Sanford, South Carolina’s once and maybe future governor (credit: Mark Sanford campaign Facebook)

Leading Off

SC-Gov

The one and only Mark Sanford is considering running for his old job as governor of South Carolina, Pluribus' Reid Wilson reports. Sanford did not respond to Wilson's inquiries about his interest in regaining the office where he was briefly a conservative star—and not so briefly a national punchline.

But if the noted hiker does enter next year's GOP primary to replace termed-out Gov. Henry McMaster in this conservative state, his 2009 sex scandal may be the least of his problems. Sanford, who relaunched his career in 2013 by winning back his old U.S. House seat, was one of the rare Republicans who refused to cozy up to Donald Trump following his 2016 victory, and he's taken no obvious moves to mend his long-hostile relationship with the party's supreme master.

Sanford, who told Politico's Tim Alberta in 2017 that Trump "has fanned the flames of intolerance," acknowledged his comments would probably end his political career. The congressman, with a smile, informed Alberta, "I'm a dead man walking. If you've already been dead, you don't fear it as much. I've been dead politically."

Sanford remained undeterred over the following year and blasted the administration's tariffs as "an experiment with stupidity." The onetime governor—who once brought two pigs onto the floor of the state House of Representatives that proceeded to defecate onto the carpet—also unironically opined that Trump had done "some weird stuff."

State Rep. Katie Arrington―who arrived in the legislature well after the pigs departed―opposed Sanford in the 2018 primary for the 1st Congressional District. Arrington promoted herself as a pro-Trump alternative while unsubtly highlighting her opponent's infamous trip to Argentina to visit his mistress. Trump piled on mere hours before the polls closed by tweeting out his endorsement for Arrington and calling Sanford "nothing but trouble" and "better off in Argentina."

Arrington beat Sanford 51-47 several months before she lost the general election to Democrat Joe Cunningham in a major upset. Sanford went on to wage a hopeless primary bid against Trump, though he suspended his campaign well before any voting took place.

"I am a citizen with no country," Sanford wrote in his 2021 memoir in a passage that seemed to mark his exit from GOP politics. "I am an unabashed conservative in the Jeffersonian sense and right now, if you believe in those ideals, you certainly don't find it in the Republican party and it's even been lost within the movement itself of late because there is no movement."

Plenty of Republicans would be just fine if Sanford, who has kept an uncharacteristically low profile over the last few years, decided he didn't have one more comeback in him after all. An unnamed state lawmaker tells Wilson, "I don't believe there is much interest in Sanford 2.0. His fussin' and feudin' days with the legislature are in the rearview mirror and would best stay there."

Several other Palmetto State Republicans are eyeing the contest to replace McMaster, a Republican who became the longest-serving governor in state history last week. The three potential candidates who have drawn the most attention are Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and Rep. Nancy Mace—who won Sanford's old House seat by unseating Cunningham in 2020. Others have expressed interest including John Warren, a wealthy businessman who lost the 2018 runoff to McMaster.

None of these politicians have entered the race yet, though that's hardly stopping Mace from viciously attacking her would-be opponents. Mace, sources tell the Post & Courier, recently told a political gathering her campaign would leave Wilson "in a body bag." The congresswoman was hardly any more diplomatic when speaking to reporters about Wilson, whom she pledged to "personally make sure that he is never governor."

Mace was ostensibly more diplomatic about Evette, saying in a video she was "super nice, I love her, I think she's a great person." Mace, though, followed up by trashing the lieutenant governor for having "no ideas, no vigor, no fight."

Special elections are back, baby!

Senate

SC-Sen

Sen. Lindsey Graham publicized endorsements on Tuesday from Gov. Henry McMaster and fellow South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott—the new chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee—as he tries to scare off any serious GOP primary foes. Rep. Ralph Norman publicly expressed interest in taking on Graham, while the Associated Press' Meg Kinnard names former state Rep. Adam Morgan as another possible foe.

Morgan, who does not appear to have said anything about challenging the senator, is no stranger to antagonizing GOP leaders. Morgan, who chaired the state's branch of the far-right Freedom Caucus, fell just short of beating Rep. William Timmons in last year's primary for the 4th Congressional District.

Governors

MN-Gov

Prominent attorney Chris Madel did not confirm or deny he was considering seeking the Republican nomination for governor when the Minnesota Star Tribune asked him about the race. Madel, the paper says, has been the subject of speculation about his interest in taking on Democratic incumbent Tim Walz, who says he'll decide around June if he'll run for a third term,

Madel last year drew attention by representing Ryan Londregan, a state trooper who was charged with fatally shooting a Black motorist named Ricky Cobb. The high-profile criminal case ended in June when prosecutors dismissed the charges after concluding they couldn't "prove that Mr. Londregan's actions were not an authorized use of force by a peace officer."

Rep. Tom Emmer, meanwhile, recently told the Wall Street Journal he wouldn't run for governor, though the majority whip never showed any inclination to do so. Emmer lost a tight race for this office to Democrat Mark Dayton in 2010, a setback that occurred four years before Emmer won the safely red 6th District.

House

NJ-07

Navy veteran Rebecca Bennett announced that she'd challenge Republican Rep. Tom Kean on Tuesday, a declaration that makes her the first notable Democrat to enter the race for New Jersey's competitive 7th District. Bennett, a former military helicopter pilot who is now employed in the healthcare industry, has never sought office before.

She may not have the primary to herself, though. The New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox writes that two former Kean foes—former Rep. Tom Malinowski and Senate staffer Sue Altman—are "among the other candidates who might be looking at the race."

There is no other information about their possible interest in running, though Fox wrote in December that Altman was considering another bid when Sen. Andy Kim hired her to be his state director. Fox added that this career switch didn't necessarily preclude Altman, who lost to Kean 52-46 last year, from seeking a rematch.

NY-21

All 15 Democratic county chairs in New York's 21st District announced Tuesday that they'll nominate dairy farmer Blake Gendebien for the upcoming special election to replace GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is awaiting her confirmation vote to be ambassador to the United Nations.

Gendebien, who says he's raised $700,000 since December, will officially become the nominee after Stefanik resigns and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul schedules a special election. (Party leaders, rather than primary voters, pick the candidates for New York special elections.) Republicans have yet to consolidate behind a single contender in this conservative seat.

The Empire State currently requires the governor to proclaim a special election within 10 days of a congressional vacancy, and for the contest to take place 70 to 80 days after it is declared. However, Capital Pressroom reported Friday that legislative Democrats are considering changing the law to give Hochul more power to set a date, a move that could keep the 21st District vacant for a while to come.

State legislators told Spectrum News Monday that the plan is "on pause" following loud complaints from Republicans, though they said the proposal isn't dead.

And one prominent Democrat wants to keep the idea alive. The New York Times reported earlier that day that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is an ardent supporter of the proposed change, which would deprive Republicans of a seat in the closely divided chamber for longer than they expected when Trump nominated Stefanik.

Jeffries' allies highlighted how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has rapidly scheduled specials in GOP strongholds while taking his time to do the same for Democratic-held seats to make their case that the current law is too restrictive.

Judges

NC Supreme Court

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that North Carolina courts should retain jurisdiction over litigation concerning last year's state Supreme Court race, where Republican Jefferson Griffin is trying to overturn Democratic Justice Allison Riggs' win.

The development is unwelcome news for Democrats, who fear that Riggs' Republican colleagues could cost her the victory. However, Tuesday’s decision still allowed for the possibility that the matter could return to federal court if issues concerning federal law remain unresolved.

Mayors & County Leaders

Boston, MA Mayor

Nonprofit head Josh Kraft declared Tuesday that he'd challenge Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a fellow Democrat, for reelection this fall.

"I'm asking the people of Boston to set aside any ideas they might have about me based on my last name," said Kraft, who is the son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The challenger argued that Boston needs a change from Wu, a prominent progressive who he said puts "politics and ideology ahead of impact."

Kraft further insisted that Wu had failed to accomplish key planks from her 2021 campaign. He highlighted her pledge to make the region's public transit network free for Boston residents, as well as what he described as her call to "place a rent control program and to launch a Green New Deal for Boston schools." He additionally faulted the mayor's push to add bus and bike lanes, which he argued has only made traffic worse.

Kraft, though, faced questions about his past donations to Republicans, including hardline members of Congress, as well as his vote in the 2016 GOP presidential primary. However, he insisted that one Republican he'd never supported was Donald Trump, whom Kraft denounced at his launch.

The candidate also was asked about his father's former ties with Trump, who remains toxic in this longtime Democratic stronghold. Robert Kraft and the GOP's leader were once close, with the younger Kraft telling the Boston Globe in 2017, "Friendship trumps politics, for lack of a better term. You might not agree with what your friend believes, but why let that ruin a friendship." Robert Kraft, however, later said he stopped speaking to Trump following the Jan. 6 riot.

The mayor, for her part, defended her record and highlighted how Kraft only registered to vote in the city in 2023 after growing up and living in neighboring Newton. Wu informed reporters, "I'm a little surprised that someone who's never even voted for mayor or city councilor before in Boston feels like he's ready to lead the city." She continued, "It's always easier to watch from the sidelines and say 'no' to things or to throw stones at proposed changes."

Kraft, who previously ran the Boys & Girls of Boston and now leads the Patriots' philanthropic arm, is running four years after Wu's election attracted national attention―including enthusiastic cheers from comedian Stephen Colbert. One of her supporters in that 2021 effort was Kraft, who donated to her successful campaign.

The candidate now says he's open to pouring his fortune into his effort to unseat Wu. Kraft was tight-lipped about how much of his future he's willing to use, though, telling the media, "We'll see how the fundraising goes." The mayor, CommonWealth Beacon says, has $1.8 million banked to defend herself.

All the candidates will face off in September in an officially nonpartisan primary, known locally as the "preliminary election," with the two highest vote-getters advancing to the November general election. No other big names, however, have expressed interest in running, so it would be a big surprise if either Wu or Kraft struggled to move forward.

New York, NY Mayor

Longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler has endorsed former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, which makes Nadler the first member of Congress to take sides in the June Democratic primary for mayor.

Grab Bag

Where Are They Now?

Donald Trump has nominated Washington Republican Joe Kent to lead the National Counterterrorism Center, a move that comes after Trump chose numerous other defeated candidates for administration posts. Few of them, though, are as infamous as Kent, whose 2022 and 2024 bids against Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez were dogged by his connections to white nationalists.

Kent, who is subject to Senate confirmation, isn't the only 2024 downballot candidate who learned this week that he's in line for a new job in the federal government. Trump also picked Colby Jenkins, who fell 176 votes short of defeating Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy in last year's primary, for a post in the Department of Defense. Multiple media outlets also report that former New York Rep. Marc Molinaro will be Trump's choice to run the Federal Transit Administration following his close loss to Democrat Josh Riley.

There are still more of these picks, including all three of the major Georgia Republicans who lost Senate bids in 2020 and 2021, but listing them all out would require its own Digest.

In our last Digest, we incorrectly stated that the Associated Press reported that Mallory McMorrow would announce on Feb. 4 that she was running for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat. The AP's story did not include a date for McMorrow’s planned announcement.