COLUMBIA, S.C. — Disgraced South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford might not have much political capital these days, but his wife is using hers.
Jilted first lady Jenny Sanford endorsed Republican state Rep. Nikki Haley in a letter made public Wednesday to succeed her term-limited husband in 2011.
Jenny Sanford was a former Wall Street executive, has ties to wealthy donors and enjoys a reputation for running her husband’s political campaigns.
She has “proven to be politically savvy when it comes to helping candidates get elected,” College of Charleston political scientist Kendra Stewart said. “And right now, having Jenny Sanford’s endorsement is certainly more valuable than having the endorsement of her husband.”
The state has had the fewest women in the country elected to the statehouse, and no women are holding statewide office.
Mark Sanford skipped the state in June and returned to confess a year-long affair with an Argentine woman.
Jenny Sanford moved out of the Governor’s Mansion during the summer. Since then, the Sanfords have refused to discuss the nature of their relationship.
