JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour on Thursday rejected calls for embattled South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford to resign and declined to join the many people who have criticized the governor.

‘‘In my career, I’ve made it a point that I don’t talk about people’s personal problems,’’ Barbour said. ‘‘The people of South Carolina have got to decide, and he’s got to decide, if he’ll ever run for anything.’’

Asked directly if Sanford should resign, Barbour said: ‘‘I don’t think he should.’’

When Barbour took over leadership of the Republican Governors Association after Sanford resigned this week, he already had back-to-back trips scheduled to the early presidential voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.