 Following Senator Jim DeMint's resignation announcement, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, whose gubernatorial run Sanford had supported, included her on the shortlist of potential appointees to fill DeMint's vacant seat.After Haley appointed Rep. Tim Scott instead, both Jenny Sanford and Mark Sanford were mentioned as potential candidates for Scott's vacant house seat.On January 14, 2013, she announced she would not be a candidate in the election.