Analysts ponder Jenny Sanford’s political future

On Tuesday, the S.C. House of Representatives formally received an impeachment resolution on Gov. Mark Sanford. The first bill was pre-filed Tuesday as the House opens the door to new legislation ahead of its January session beginning.

State Rep. Greg Delleney of Chester said the bill will be the first one in a stack of legislation to consider and already has three co-sponsors. He said the governor needs to be impeached because he abandoned the state to see his mistress in Argentina and embarrassed the Palmetto State.
 
The governor’s wife, Jenny, recently made an unprecedented step to endorse a candidate to take her husband’s position once his term ends.

That, along with her high levels of support across the state, have many analysts are pondering whether she may one day pursue a political office herself, though she has said she has no such aspirations.

The main source of the talk is the following she developed while dealing with her husband’s scandal, especially among women.

Florence resident Gwendolyn Hickman said Jenny Sanford handled the situation in a way that garnered a lot of respect from women across the state and the country.

“I think that she handled it well, I think she spoke well and she seemed optimistic,” Hickman said.

Political analysts speculate the favor Jenny Sanford has found among so many would translate well into votes for a political office.

“A lot of the esteem in which she’s held now flows from the fashion in which she handled the situation with her revelations about her husband’s infidelity,” said Dr. Neal Thigpen, a veteran political analyst and retired Francis Marion University professor.

Thigpen said there has been talk in political circles of Jenny Sanford running for the seat held by Congressman Henry Brown, or even that of U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint.

Some potential voters say they would back her if she chose to run.

“She’s had experience in politics so she knows kind of how it works, so to speak, so I think she’d be a good candidate,” Florence resident Jean Harper said.

“I think she would be good, she really would, especially with the women, because she seemed to inspire a lot of women,“ Hickman said.

Jenny Sanford’s office said she has no intention to seek public office and offered this statement from her: “I have no intention to seek public office at this time. I am focused on my family and the character of my children.”

Thigpen said he believes Jenny Sanford’s role likely won’t be one of candidacy, but rather of support for candidates in races across South Carolina.

“In all likelihood, she may well play a role in support of other candidates running in Republican offices across the state in 2010 in various offices besides the governorship,” Thigpen said.

Jenny Sanford said she chose to endorse state Rep. Nikki Haley of Lexington for the governor’s office because, among other things, Haley “has shown uncommon courage in her willingness to take on the political bosses and not back down from the fight.”

The first lady also said she believed Haley could lead the state into a brighter future.