Comeback complete: Mark Sanford wins South Carolina congressional election

The disgraced former governor has convinced voters to give him a second chance

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), seen here casting his vote, won back his seat in the House.
(Image credit: Getty Images/Mary Ann Chastain)

Mark Sanford's Appalachian climb to political redemption reached its end Tuesday night, as the former governor, who left office amid an international sex scandal, won a special election to represent South Carolina's 1st Congressional District.

With roughly three-quarters of precincts reporting, Sanford held a double-digit lead over Democrat Elizabeth Colbert-Busch. Though the final margin is likely to change, The Associated Press, CNN, and others had called the race in Sanford's favor by 8:30 pm.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.