Former Governor Mark Sanford has signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in his bid for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional seat. The Pledge, sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform, commits signers to “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."

ATR has offered the Pledge to all candidates for federal office since 1987. To date, 39 U.S. Senators and 219 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed the Pledge. Additionally, fourteen governors and over 1,200 state legislators have signed the Pledge.

“I want to congratulate Mr. Sanford for taking the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. The American people have clearly shown their displeasure with the tax-and-spend policies coming from Washington. They want real solutions that create jobs, cut government spending, and get the economy going again,” said Grover Norquist, president of ATR.

“By signing the Pledge, Mark Sanford demonstrates that he understands the problems of hard-working taxpayers nationwide, but especially the taxpayers of South Carolina.”

“I challenge all candidates for South Carolina’s special election to make the same commitment to taxpayers by signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge today,” Norquist continued.

[PDF of Press Release]