Former Governor Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) referred to himself as a "wounded warrior" in an interview with WCBD-TV earlier this week, as picked up by Politico.
Sanford served as governor of South Carolina from 2003-2011, but garnered intense media scrutiny after his whereabouts were unknown for five days in 2009. Investigations revealed he was engaged in an affair with a woman in Argentina. He was later censured by the state's legislature, but he served out the rest of his term.
He announced on Wednesday that he is running to fill the House seat of newly appointed Sen. Tim Scott.
In the interview with reporter Brendan Clark of WCBD-TV in Charleston, S.C., Sanford predicted that a run would be trying.
“I’m scared to death in human terms. I mean, as I say, I’m a wounded warrior," Sanford said. "I’m going to step out as best I can and try and advance ideas that I’ve long believed in. But it’s not without fear and trepidation because you know you’re going to get hit, and you’re going to get hit hard.”
The term "wounded warrior" typically refers to men and women serving in the military who have been injured in combat. The military even uses it in official units for servicemembers to recover, such as the Marine Corps' Wounded Warrior Regiment.
Sanford tweeted an apology today: “I meant no disrespect to our heroic men and women in uniform. I used the wrong analogy trying to make a broader point."
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