WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Poll: 69 percent say Gov. should resign

Poll: 69 percent say Gov. should resign

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - A new poll indicates that 69 percent of all South Carolinians think Gov. Mark Sanford should step down from his position as the state's top executive.

Additionally, half of those questioned in the WCSC/SurveyUSA survey released Wednesday evening said his political career was finished. When questions concerning Sanford's ability to regain trust and govern effectively, a strong majority (63 percent) of respondents stated he could not be trusted.

68 percent of respondents also felt the governor had disclosed too much personal information about his affair in press conferences and subsequent interviews.

While a large majority of South Carolinians feel Sanford should step down, confidence in Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer to lead effectively is not particularly strong. Only 1 in 5 respondents felt Bauer was completely prepared to take over the chief executive's office.

38 percent said Bauer was "somewhat prepared" to take over as governor.

The WCSC/SurveyUSA poll was conducted Wednesday, with 500 adult South Carolinians responding. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

©2009 WCSC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.