A Profile of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford

A conservative in the vein of Ron Paul, Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford, Jr. always has been known for voting his conscience and pursuing his convictions. With a 92 percent approval rating from the American Conservative Union, Sanford earned national notoriety in 2009, when, as governor, he announced he would not accept money on behalf of South Carolina from President Barack Obama's stimulus package (although he eventually compromised so long as the money paid down the state's debt burden). As a Congressman, Sanford kept a 1994 promise to serve only three terms, and did not run for re-election in 2000.

Once considered a top contender for the 2012 presidential campaign, Sanford earned national fame for opposing the 2009 stimulus package on the grounds that it was not in the taxpayers' best interest. Nevertheless, he apparently had no trouble using taxpayer money to fund personal flights to Argentina in pursuit of an extra-marital affair, which he admitted having on June 24, 2009.

As Congressman, Sanford's opposition to pork-barrel spending prevented him from accepting money that benefited his own district. As governor, Sanford brought live pigs into the state House Chamber to protest pork projects.

Sanford was born on May 28, 1960 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. the oldest of Marshall and Peggy Sanford's four children. As a teenager, Sanford moved with his family to Beaufort, SC, where he graduated high school. in 1983, he graduated with a business degree from Furman University and subsequently worked for Coldwell Banker while earning his master's degree at Virginia University, which he received in 1988. Afterward, he continued to work in real estate and was trained in finance at Goldman Sachs. In 1992, he founded Norton and Sanford Real Estate Investment, a leasing and brokerage company he still owns.

In the early 1990s, Sanford returned to South Carolina with his wife Jenny and their four boys. In 1994, he entered the Republican primary for the state's first Congressional district, which was being vacated by a four-term incumbent. Against all odds, Sanford defeated the party favorite, then coasted to victory in the fall as part of the Republican takeover of congress. Sanford joined the Republican's "Contract With America," and promised to serve only three terms. In 2000, he kept his promise and did not seek re-election.

As with his Congressional campaign, Sanford's entry into the race for governor in 2002 was a long shot. Nevertheless, he again defeated the Republican Party favorite in the primary and narrowly defeated the Democratic incumbent in the fall. Not long after taking office, he began a contentious relationship with the Republican-controlled General Assembly, voicing opposition to pork barrel spending projects and bloated budgets. He made national headlines in 2004, when he brought two live pigs into the state House. In 2006, he forced the General Assembly to override his veto of the state budget.

If his first term was contentious, Sanford's second term has made him a nationally-recognized personality. He continued his independent streak for the first two years of his second term, but after President Barack Obama took office, he joined with other state governors to announce he would not accept money from the 2009 stimulus package. Sanford faced stiff opposition within his state, and eventually relented after learning the money would be distributed to other states. In the final week of June 2009, Sanford's whereabouts could not be confirmed.

Upon his return on June 24, 2009, Sanford held a press conference -- without his wife, Jenny -- to announce he was guilty of infidelity. Sanford said he had been involved with a woman from Argentina for more than eight years. He said the affair began innocently and had gotten serious in the preceding year and a half. His wife had learned of the affair five months before Sanford's public announcement and the couple had sought counseling. Two weeks before the announcement, however, she had requested a trial separation. It was later discovered Sanford's trips to Argentina were taxpayer-funded.

In 2008, Sanford was on Republican presidential candidate John McCain's long list of potential running-mates. Before the announcement of his affair, Sanford was considered a Republican presidential prospect for 2012, although he never formally announced plans to run. It is likely, however, that the admission of an extra-marital affair will likely remove any possibility of him entering the 2012 Republican primary.

Sanford opposes gay marriage and adoptions by gay parents. He has also voiced opposition to affirmative action in college, but has supported the practice in state contracts. He believes market-based incentives are the best way to promote private land conservation. Sanford has proposed ending parole for violent offenders and supports alternative sentencing for non-violent offenders. He is in favor of vouchers and supports merit-pay for teachers (he also supports school prayer). On immigration, he supports making English the official US language and favors more immigrant visas for skilled workers.

Sanford joined the Air Force Reserves the year he became governor in 2002. He trained off and on for three years, but was never deployed.

In November 2006, Sanford was barred from voting in his home precinct because he hadn't changed the address on his voter registration card. The governor obtained a new card at the voter registration office and then was permitted to cast a ballot.