Mark Sanford has won the South Carolina special election in a competitive race for what in normal circumstances is a safe Republican seat.
The former governor beat Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert Busch, for the state’s 1st congressional district.
The AP called the race for Sanford, with the Republican leading Colbert Busch 54 percent 46 percent.
Mitt Romney won this district by 18 points last fall, but Sanford’s personal history made the seat competitive.
Democrats poured money into the race while national Republicans abandoned their candidate, giving Colbert Busch a 5-to-1 advantage in outside spending.
Those ads, and Colbert Busch herself, made an issue out of Sanford’s 2009 disappearance to be with his Argentinean mistress, which led to an ethics investigation into his travel.
By Susie Madrak
— May 7, 2013
