Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) announced his withdrawal from the 2020 presidential race Tuesday. Sanford was one of three GOP challengers to President Trump, along with former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh and former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld.
According to The Post and Courier, Sanford — whose withdrawal comes a mere two months after his campaign began — made the announcement at a Tuesday press conference at the New Hampshire Statehouse. Sanford previously said that he planned to spend most of this month campaigning in New Hampshire.
The Post and Courier reported that Sanford argued that the impeachment inquiry had become a distraction to the 2020 election.
“You gotta be a realist, and what I did not anticipate is an impeachment,” Sanford said, while announcing the suspension of his campaign.
Sanford most recently served as a member of Congress, occasionally calling out Trump and also attracting the President’s ire. In September, Trump ridiculed Sanford over an affair he had with an Argentinian woman about a decade ago.
Read The Post and Courier’s report on Sanford’s announcement here.
