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Gov. Sanford’s wife not standing by her man
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'His career is not a concern of mine'
On Thursday, Jenny Sanford spent part of the day with her husband at their coastal home. Later, she left with some children in her car for what she said was dinner and a boat ride. Asked if she would be staying with her husband, she said: "It's a goal."
"I'm going to do my best to work on my marriage," she said. As for her husband's political future: "His career is not a concern of mine. He'll have to worry about that. I'm going to worry about my family and the character of my children."
Born Jennifer Sullivan, the first lady grew up near Chicago. Her grandfather founded the Skil Corp., a power tool manufacturer. She graduated from Georgetown University in 1984 with a degree in finance, then worked for the Wall Street investment banking firm Lazard Freres & Co., where she was a vice president in mergers and acquisitions. Mark Sanford was also working on Wall Street.
The couple have four school-age sons.
Jenny Sanford, a millionaire, helped launch her husband's political career nearly 15 years ago, running his campaigns for Congress and governor and putting up with campaign workers living in the basement of their Sullivans Island home.
Was her husband's chief adviser
Though she has stayed largely in the background, it is common knowledge that she was her husband's chief adviser. She has been a regular at his morning meetings with his top aides.
Close friends know her as a warm, bubbly person with an infectious smile. But in political circles, she is seen as a formidable figure, not to be crossed.
"She's a highly organized, corporate-type person," said former state Rep. John Graham Altman, a Republican. "I think Jenny's very calm, very controlled. She's extremely gifted and talented. ... It's clear she was the governor of the governor."
Her more public efforts included overseeing the restoration of a home on the mansion's grounds and promoting healthier living for South Carolinians.
"She has a very good strong political mind and has always been the mastermind behind Mark's campaign, but at the same time she does have a very tender side to her, particularly as it relates to her children," said Mike Campbell, an unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 2006.
"Some people are not quite sure how to take her, that she's really tough, sometimes even cold. But I've always found her to be very personable and gotten along well with her."
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