Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on Thursday ended his campaign for his former U.S. House seat, saying he will instead focus on launching a national nonprofit aimed at addressing the country’s growing debt.
Sanford, a Republican who entered the race on March 30, announced the decision in a statement, emphasizing a shift away from electoral politics toward advocacy.
“After a lot of thought, I’ve concluded that the most effective way I can contribute right now is not by seeking office, but by helping build a broader movement focused on the country’s financial future,” he said. “The trajectory of debt and deficits isn’t a Republican problem or a Democrat problem—it’s an American problem. And it’s one that demands sustained grassroots pressure for change to occur.”
According to the release, the organization will operate as a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) and will focus on building a nationwide grassroots network aimed at addressing the nation’s fiscal challenges.
The U.S. national debt currently exceeds $38.9 trillion, according to the Treasury Department. That total includes more than $31.2 trillion in debt held by the public and more than $7.6 trillion in intragovernmental holdings.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected in February that the federal budget deficit will grow from $1.9 trillion in the current fiscal year to $3.1 trillion by 2036. Over that period, the deficit is expected to rise from 5.8 percent to 6.7 percent as a share of gross domestic product.
“I want to make a difference here, and as I began to get back into the world of politics it really began to hit me how all of Washington’s major changes have come as a result of outside pressure,” Sanford said. “Technical changes come from within Washington, but to do more of that on the debt issue is to rearrange chairs on the Titanic. It will take public pressure to bring lasting change.”
Sanford previously represented South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District from 1995 to 2001 and served as governor from 2003 to 2011. He later returned to Congress, representing the same district from 2013 to 2019.
The seat is currently held by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who is running in the Republican primary for governor and is not seeking reelection to a fourth term in the House.
Sanford also mounted a brief campaign for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination, challenging then-President Donald Trump, but withdrew before any primary votes were cast.
READ NEXT: Maine Gov. Janet Mills Suspends Senate Campaign
