Plywood Signs Stand Out in Crowded GOP Race

Editors Note: A portion of this story has been amended from its original version.

Political signs have sprouted in S.C. First Congressional District, but one may be turning more heads than others: a piece of plywood, spraypainted with a message in support of former Gov. Mark Sanford.

These homely signs have made appearances from Sullivans Island to Hilton Head Island. Sanford also has the sleek political signs, but those seem a little lost among the red, white and blue at nearly every intersection. 

So do the plywood signs really cost the campaign less? Or is this a campaign tactic?

The signs costs about $7 and the typical 4 foot x 8 foot political sign costs about $19, before accessories  — so the campaign is saving money while still getting a grassroots look.

Sanford Campaign Manager Joel Sawyer told Patch the plywood has been donated by volunteers, some of whom are contractors who have a ready supply of used plywood that would have been discarded anyway. 

And why not in a crowded GOP race where everyone wants to show their fiscal responsibility and grassroots appeal?

"Somebody came to Gov. Sanford with the idea of doing the signs and you know how cheap he is," Sawyer said. "The biggest driver of this is that it's cheap ... Don't read so much into it."

Jack Burton was one of the volunteers to donate plywood. A contractor on Sullivans Island, Burton has no shortage of the wood that would have found it's way into a dumpster. 

"I've known Mark (Sanford) for a long time just offered myself to do whatever I can do ... He called me and said, 'What we could really use is some scrap plywood — do you have any that we could use?'" Burton told Patch. "If there's a way to accomplish the same result without spending money then that's what he's all about ... Not only does it have the money saving aspect to it, it has the recycle, reuse, repurpose aspect to it as well."