Sanford challenger references ex-governor’s affair with ‘hiking’ ad

A Republican primary challenger to Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) alluded to Sanford’s high-profile affair in an ad released Monday, going on a “hike” in a reference to the famous excuse that Sanford was “hiking the Appalachian trail.” 

“Bless his heart, but it is time for Mark Sanford to take a hike — for real this time,” Sanford challenger Katie Arrington, a one-term state lawmaker, says in the “Take a Hike” ad.

As governor of South Carolina, Sanford disappeared for days in 2009 to visit his mistress in Argentina. When asked to explain Sanford’s absence, a Sanford staffer claimed, incorrectly, that the governor was hiking the Appalachian trail.

{mosads}“Mark Sanford and the career politicians cheated on us,” Arrington said in the ad. “We sent him to do a job, but he left his post and set off down a long trail towards obstructionism.”

Arrington also touted her support for President Trump in the ad, while also highlighting Sanford’s criticism of the president.

“I am a conservative businesswoman, and I am running for Congress to get things done — not to go on CNN to bash President Trump,” Arrington said. “I’ll cut spending, strengthen our military, and get rid of the career politicians.”

The South Carolina primary takes place on June 12.