Mark Sanford Will Face Elizabeth Colbert Busch for SC1 Seat

Mark Sanford cleared the second hurdle in one of the most improbable political comeback in recent history on Tuesday evening. 

The Associated Press called the race for Sanford at approximately 8:20 p.m.

The former governor, tarnished by a very public extramarital affair in 2009, defeated Curtis Bostic to win the Republican nomination for the First Congressional District.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Sanford had a comfortable 57-43 lead.

Follow all of Patch's coverage and reaction here.

Sanford will now face Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch on May 7.

Turnout was low, which many thought was a harbinger of good results for Bostic, a former Charleston County Councilman.

The Democratic response to the Sanford win was immediate, and predictable:

"The nomination of  the disgraced Mark Sanford by the Republican voters of the first district shows how out of touch the Republican Party of South Carolina has become," said Dick Harpootlian, chairman of the S.C. Democratic Party.

“I look forward to a vigorous campaign that focuses on creating jobs, balancing our country’s budget and choosing an independent-minded leader who shares the values of the great people of South Carolina,” said Colbert Busch.

Sanford's supporters were confident of their chances against Colbert Busch. It was also a night to celebrate and thoughts of the coming fight could wait until morning.

April Harris Derr has been a part of Sanford's team since his first Congressional term in the mid-1990s and she said her boss' comeback was inspiring.

Before announcing his return to politics Sanford, consulted many people and Harris Derr was one of them. She was fully supportive but said Sanford's best advice comes from himself. She's looking forward to the possibility of working again for him if her schedule allows.

"He is the hardest worker in politics there is and he's never expected us to do something he hasn't done," she said.

She has been through all of the ups and downs with Sanford. "He's never changed as a person and he was so consistent made it easy to work for and explain his positions to constituents," Harris Derr said. 

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