Former Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC), who previously had a controversial tenure as governor of South Carolina and challenged President Donald Trump for the 2020 presidential nomination, announced his comeback congressional bid on Tuesday. Sanford continues to face political pushback over his June 2009 decision to leave the state for roughly a week to see his mistress in Argentina, which he lied about and instead said that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. He did successfully return to Congress from 2013 to 2019, but lost the 2018 primary to Republican Katie Arrington. “I’m running for Congress because I believe our country is at a tipping point,” he said, saying if the national debt is “left unaddressed, that debt will crush our economy.” “If you believe as I do, I’m asking you join us in this fight,” he added. He most recently made major headlines with unverified accusations that he had a relationship with journalist Olivia Nuzzi while she was covering his 2020 presidential bid, as she later left Vanity Fair as a result of that and possible improper ties with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The seat is currently held by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who is running for governor of South Carolina in a crowded Republican primary. The congressional district is rated “Solid Republican” by the Cook Political Report. Although it was known that he would enter the race since late last month, his announcement triggered some negative reactions on X. “Appalachian Trail is a thing because of you,” conservative commentator Dana Loesch wrote. “Launching today of all days?” CBS News Political Correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns tweeted, presumably a nod to Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-CA) resignation on Tuesday over multiple sexual misconduct allegations, including two individuals accusing the Democrat of sexual assault. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) also resigned on Tuesday following an affair scandal involving a female staffer who later ended up committing suicide. However, some individuals on Facebook were more complimentary. “People look at the bad mistakes made not what the Governor has done for the state. This man can cut a budget in half. He will always always have my vote and I will always always have Marks back. Vote for the future people not the past,” one user wrote. “If I still lived SC I would certainly vote for you. I lived in SC when you were Governor and thought you did an absolutely wonderful job,” another individual posted. His decision to challenge Trump in 2020, although he suspended his campaign before any primaries, centered around the national debt. “I’m suspending my race for the Presidency because impeachment has made my goal of making the debt, deficit, and spending issue a part of this presidential debate impossible right now,” Sanford stated at the time, according to NBC News. The primary is on June 9.