Jenny Sanford

Jennifer Sanford
Born	(1962-09-11) September 11, 1962 Winnetka, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Investment banker, campaign manager, author, political figure
Years active	1984–present
Known for	Former First Lady of South Carolina; investment banking career at Lazard Freres & Company; political involvement

Jennifer Sullivan Sanford (born September 11, 1962) is a former First Lady of South Carolina and previously worked as an investment banker. She was married to Governor Mark Sanford.

Early life and education

Born and raised in Winnetka, Illinois, a wealthy suburb of Chicago, Sanford is the daughter of Susan Reynolds and John William Sullivan. She is the second among five siblings in an Irish Catholic family with significant regional influence. Her great-grandfather, Joseph W. Sullivan, was a co-founder of Skil Corporation, recognized for producing the first portable electric saw. Both her uncle and grandfather held prominent legal positions at the Winston and Strawn law firm. Through marriage, she is also connected to the Kennedy family via Anne Reynolds Skakel.

Sanford attended Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, an all-female Catholic institution in Lake Forest, Illinois, and earned her bachelor's degree from Georgetown University in 1984, graduating magna cum laude.

Career

Between 1984 and 1990, Sanford was employed by Lazard Freres & Company, a New York City-based investment bank, where she advanced to the role of vice president within the firm's mergers and acquisitions division.

She has been regarded as a possible political contender. Following Senator Jim DeMint's resignation, then South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, whom Sanford supported, considered her for the vacant Senate seat. Ultimately, Haley appointed Representative Tim Scott, while both Jennifer and Mark Sanford were mentioned as potential candidates for Scott's House seat. On January 14, 2013, she declared she would not pursue candidacy.

In 2014, Sanford expressed interest in leading the College of Charleston but subsequently withdrew from the selection process.

In December 2013, she received an appointment to the Charleston County Aviation Authority Board.

During the 2014 election cycle, Sanford broke party lines by endorsing Democrat Ginny Deerin for Secretary of State of South Carolina, opposing Republican incumbent Mark Hammond.

By March 2015, Sanford had indicated her desire to become Director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Marriage to Mark Sanford

Sanford met Mark Sanford at a beach gathering in the Hamptons on Long Island. She described their initial encounter as "friendship at first sight." The couple married in 1989 and have four sons.

Following their second son's birth, Mark Sanford announced his political ambitions. Jennifer later recalled being surprised when he informed her during her hospital stay with their newborn that he intended to run for Congress.

In 1994, she managed her husband's victorious campaign for the United States House of Representatives and later oversaw his 2002 gubernatorial campaign in South Carolina. Sanford also provided counsel during his congressional service and co-managed his successful 2006 re-election bid for governor. In 2005, she initiated the Healthy South Carolina Challenge aimed at decreasing chronic preventable illnesses. Additionally, she holds board positions with several non-profit organizations including the Hollings Cancer Center, Drayton Hall in Charleston, the Coastal Community Foundation, and the Children's Hospital Advisory Fund.

Marital difficulties and divorce

On June 24, 2009, following several days away from South Carolina, Mark Sanford publicly confessed to having an affair with an Argentine woman named María Belén Chapur. Earlier that year, Jenny Sanford had become aware of his unfaithfulness. Approximately two weeks prior to the public revelation, the couple had agreed to a trial separation.

On August 7, 2009, Jenny Sanford relocated from the South Carolina Governor's Mansion to their residence on Sullivan's Island along with their four sons. She initiated divorce proceedings on December 11, 2009, and the divorce was officially concluded on March 19, 2010. On February 5, 2010, she released a memoir entitled Staying True, which recounted her perspective and experiences throughout the scandal.

On February 3, 2013, Jenny Sanford discovered Mark Sanford at her Sullivan's Island home in breach of their divorce agreement, which barred his visits without prior consent. After multiple infractions despite a "no trespass" warning, she filed a trespassing complaint. Mark Sanford acknowledged being there to watch the Super Bowl with their son but stated he had attempted to contact her beforehand. As a consequence of this event, the National Republican Congressional Committee withdrew its endorsement of his congressional campaign.

Andy McKay

In 2018, Sanford wed Andy McKay, an investment banker based in Louisville, Kentucky.

External links

• "Staying True" by Jenny Sanford
• Coastal Community Foundation of SC website