COLUMBIA, S.C. - A former Republican aide to Gov. Mark Sanford may face a GOP state Senate incumbent in next summer's primary instead of running for an empty seat.

Chip Campsen served six years in the House before honoring a term limit pledge and taking a job with Sanford this year.

When he resigned last month, Campsen said he was considering running for the state Senate. At the time, Campsen was thinking about the district he now lives and the seat that Sen. Arthur Ravenel, R-Mount Pleasant, is retiring from.

But the Legislature redrew district lines before going home in June and that new map puts Campsen's Isle of Palms home in Republican Sen. John Kuhn's Charleston district.

That new map hasn't won final Justice Department approval, Campsen said. And he hasn't decided to seek the Senate seat.

Still, "I would consider running against an incumbent," Campsen said.

"I don't care who runs against me, either," Kuhn said. "Everybody's got a right to run."