(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – A majority of adults in the United States believe Mark Sanford should abandon his post as Governor of South Carolina, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opnion. 56 per cent of respondents think Stanford should resign after acknowledging an extra-marital affair.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – A majority of adults in the United States believe Mark Sanford should abandon his post as Governor of South Carolina, according to a poll by Angus Reid Public Opnion. 56 per cent of respondents think Stanford should resign after acknowledging an extra-marital affair.
Sanford—a Republican—won the 2002 gubernatorial election in South Carolina, defeating Democrat Jim Hodges with 52.9 per cent of the vote. He took office in January 2003, and was elected to a new term in 2006 with 55.1 per cent of the vote. Sanford is ineligible for a third consecutive term in office.
For six days in June 2009, Sanford’s whereabouts were unknown to the public. On Jun. 24, Sanford acknowledged an extramarital affair, and eventually reimbursed the state for the cost of a government-funded trip during which he saw a woman—María Belén Chapur of Argentina—who was not his wife.
Sanford resigned as chairman of the Republican Governors Association but refused to leave his position as governor. The South Carolina General Assembly considered several impeachment resolutions, but the process did not lead to the governor’s removal. Sanford’s wife Jenny filed for divorce in December 2009.
On May 19, Sanford acknowledged that he is trying to rekindle his relationship with Chapur, saying, "You know, the purpose was obviously to see if something could be restarted on that front given the rather enormous geographic gulf between us. And time will tell. I don’t know if it will or won’t. But this obsession with one’s personal life at some point has got to end."
Polling Data
As you may know, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford acknowledged that he had an extramarital affair, and reimbursed the state for the cost of a government-funded trip during which he saw a woman who is not his wife. Thinking about this, do you think Stanford should resign his position as governor?
|
May 2010
|
Jul. 2009
|
|
|
Yes
|
56%
|
55%
|
|
No
|
24%
|
24%
|
|
Not sure
|
20%
|
20%
|
Source: Angus Reid Public Opinion
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,016 American adults, conducted on May 13 and May 214, 2010. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
