(AP) -- Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is running for his old seat in Congress after a break from politics that followed his affair with an Argentine woman.
The Republican, who was a strong fiscal conservative before the advent of the Tea Party, said Wednesday he wants to go back to Washington because spending is threatening the nation's future.
Sanford is seeking the 1st District seat on the state's coast. The seat is open after GOP congressman Tim Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate.
Sanford was considered a possible Republican presidential contender until he revealed in 2009 that he had an affair with an Argentine woman to whom he has since become engaged. He finished out his second term in 2011 and did not run for another office.
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