Rep. Mark Sanford (R) concedes defeat in South Carolina GOP primary
Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) has lost a political race for the first time, all but conceding Tuesday's Republican primary to challenger Katie Arrington, a state legislator President Trump had endorsed in a tweet Tuesday afternoon. Even before The Associated Press projected that Arrington would win outright, Sanford told supporters Tuesday night, "I think that I'll end up losing this election." Sanford would be the second GOP incumbent unseated in primaries this year, after Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-N.C.).
Sanford, a fiscal conservative and member of the House Freedom Caucus first elected to Congress in 1994, also served two terms as governor, though he admitted in 2009 to secretly traveling to Argentina for an extramarital affair — a scandal Trump alluded to in his tweet: "Mark Sanford has been very unhelpful to me in my campaign to MAGA. He is MIA and nothing but trouble. He is better off in Argentina." Arrington will face Democrat Joe Cunningham, a lawyer and political novice, in a district Trump won in 2016 with 53.5 percent of the vote.
Trump's tweet did not push South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) over the finish line. He got less than 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday's GOP gubernatorial primary and will face Greenville businessman John Warren in a June 26 runoff election.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 23, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - loving thy neighbour, an HR matter, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Giuliani must hand assets to women he defamed
Speed Read The former New York City mayor must turn over his apartment and other possessions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Abercrombie ex-CEO charged with sex crimes
Speed Read Mike Jeffries ran the brand during its heyday from 1992 to 2014
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Giuliani must hand assets to women he defamed
Speed Read The former New York City mayor must turn over his apartment and other possessions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump aims to be a fascist dictator, John Kelly says
Speed Read The retired general was Trump's chief of staff from 2017 to 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Central Park 5 sue Trump for defamation
Speed Read The group was wrongfully convicted of raping a jogger in 1989
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Moldova backs joining EU in close vote marred by Russia
Speed Read The country's president was also pushed into a runoff election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump gets profane at Catholic charity dinner
Speed Read The Republican nominee mocked Kamala Harris, her husband, her running mate, President Joe Biden and other Democrats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Florida ordered to allow pro-abortion rights ads
Speed Read A federal judge in Florida ordered the DeSantis administration to stop threatening TV stations for running an abortion rights referendum ad
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Pentagon grants ousted LGBTQ vets full benefits
Speed Read The new ruling will apply to more than 820 LGBTQ veterans
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published