Sanford’s political career was derailed four years ago. Republicans pull plug on Sanford

National Republicans are pulling the plug on Mark Sanford’s suddenly besieged congressional campaign, POLITICO has learned — a potentially fatal blow to the former South Carolina governor’s dramatic comeback bid.

Blindsided by news that Sanford’s ex-wife has accused him of trespassing and concluding he has no plausible path to victory, the National Republican Congressional Committee has decided not to spend more money on Sanford’s behalf ahead of the May 7 special election.


“Mark Sanford has proven he knows what it takes to win elections. At this time, the NRCC will not be engaged in this special election,” said Andrea Bozek, an NRCC spokeswoman.

( PHOTOS: Mark Sanford’s career)

Sanford is facing Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, a Clemson University administrator and sister of comedian Stephen Colbert, in a race that has grabbed the national spotlight.

The NRCC’s move comes hours after Tuesday night’s report by the Associated Press that Sanford’s ex-wife, Jenny Sanford, filed a court complaint accusing him of trespassing at her home in early February – which would be a violation of the terms of their divorce agreement.

Republicans said they were caught off guard by news of Jenny Sanford’s complaint. They worry other damaging revelations about Mark Sanford’s personal life that they aren’t aware of could come out in the coming weeks.

The NRCC has spent a nominal amount on the race on polling and other activities. But officials determined that devoting potentially millions more — which was under discussion — isn’t worth it.

“This is an unfortunate situation but this is what happens when candidates aren’t honest and withhold information,” said one GOP operative.

( Also on POLITICO: Ex-wife claims Sanford trespassed)

Sanford’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Sanford’s political career was derailed four years ago after he admitted having an affair with an Argentine woman, and now he is seeking the House seat he held for three terms in the late 1990s. The district heavily favors Republicans, so a win by Colbert Busch would be a major upset.

The former governor’s personal life has taken center stage in the race. Sanford, who spent eight years as governor and six years in Congress and for a time had been seen as a serious potential presidential candidate, has crisscrossed the Charleston-area district apologizing to voters and casting himself as a figure of repentance and redemption.

( Also on POLITICO: Sanford: I entered Jenny's home to watch football)

The NRCC’s decision came as national Democrats began pouring money into the race. On Tuesday, House Majority PAC, a Democratic outside group, started running a TV hammering Sanford for spending taxpayer money to fund his trips to Argentina (The former governor later reimbursed the state for the trips). An official with the group said it was spending in the mid six-figures to run the ad.

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Since securing the GOP nomination two weeks ago, Sanford has painted Colbert Busch as a liberal who is out of step with the 1st Congressional District. He has hammered Colbert Busch for accepting donations from organized labor and for supporting President Barack Obama’s health care bill.

The approach is Sanford’s attempt to shift the focus of the race on issue — a battle he’s much more likely to win —and away from his well-publicized personal troubles.

But the news of the alleged trespassing once again thrusts Sanford’s damaged family life to the forefront of the campaign. It threatens to undercut his already shaky support among women, who polls show are unenthusiastic about voting for an admitted adulterer.

And, most dangerous of all, it undermines what had been the driving theme of the ex-governor’s campaign: that he has learned from his personal mistakes and put them behind him.

“The reason this is bad is because it takes all of Sanford’s problems in the past and takes them right into the present,” said one GOP official. “Every dollar that he’s spent reforming his image has been wiped away.”

Sanford’s bid isn’t necessarily a lost cause, mainly because because of the district’s conservative tilt — it backed Mitt Romney over Barack Obama by 18 percentage points. Internal GOP polling in recent weeks has shown him with a small lead over Colbert Busch.

But that was before the Jenny Sanford bombshell.

Until Tuesday, she had mostly stayed out of the race; she told Roll Call recently that she had no plans to endorse in the contest. But her complaints about her ex-husband’s conduct in the wake of their divorce has been a source of quiet concern among Republicans.

In Feb. 2011, Jenny Sanford’s lawyer sent a letter to Mark Sanford and police asking the former governor not to trespass at her Sullivan’s Island home. Later that year, she filed another complaint saying Mark Sanford had not paid his stipulated $5,000 annual contribution to his son’s college fund. Her most recent complaint accuses Sanford of “a pattern” of trespassing.

Sanford addressed the February incident in a statement Wednesday.

“It’s an unfortunate reality that divorced couples sometimes have disagreements that spill over into family court,” he said. “I did indeed watch the second half of the Super Bowl at the beach house with our 14 year old son because as a father I didn’t think he should watch it alone. Given she was out of town I tried to reach her beforehand to tell her of the situation that had arisen, and met her at the back steps under the light of my cell phone when she returned and told her what had happened.

“There is always another side to every story, and while I am particularly curious how records that were sealed to avoid the boys dealing with embarrassment are now somehow exposed less than three weeks before this election, I agree with Jenny that the media is no place to debate what is ultimately a family court matter, and out of respect for Jenny and the boys, I’m not going to have any further comment at this time,” Sanford said.

Word of the trespassing complaint left some Republicans speechless.

“This makes Mark Sanford’s already complicated candidacy even more so,” said a second GOP operative.