Mark Sanford Steps Back onto National Stage with SC1 Win

To become one of the most spectacular political stories of a Comeback Kid, Mark Sanford didn't need forgiveness — and didn't receive much from voters who admitted to personally disliking the former governor — but needed to take advantage of the South Carolina First Congressional District's dislike of national Democrats like House Minority Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama. 

The Republican nominee for S.C. First Congressional District won 54 percent of the vote in Tuesday's special election triggered by the appointment of former Congressman and now-Sen. Tim Scott to the U.S. Senate.

While the district has remained in GOP control for more than 30 years, Sanford was outspent and, at times, lagging behind his Democratic rival Elizabeth Colbert Busch. Several polls came out prior to the election showing the favored Republican behind the political novice Colbert Busch, and Sanford even lost the monetary backing of the National Republican Congressional Committee. But in recent weeks, Sanford narrowed his campaign to a single, vote-getting issue: don't let Democrats get another vote in Washington, D.C. 

Click here to read about Colbert Busch's loss.

Prior to Tuesday's decisive victory, the Washington Post had already labeled Sanford among the Top 6 political comebacks in the nation — grouped in with Democratic President Bill Clinton, Republican Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Democatic former N.Y. Gov. Eliot Spitzer. During his victory speech, Sanford said a voter had called him Lazarus. 

Sanford emerged from a watered-down field of 15 GOP candidates in March. He was the only candidate with the political recognition of a former governor, and successfully quashed his opponents who were only able to eke out smaller percentages as they split the vote 15 ways. Many of the Republican voters in the primary were cognizant of Sanford's clout but none could coalesce around a singular candidate. When Charleston attorney Curtis Bostic made the runoff with Sanford, the remaining voters again found themselves split — allowing Sanford an easy victory over the more socially conservative candidate. 

On Tuesday, South Carolina's former governor didn't earn every vote based on his likeability or even his policies in some instances. Sanford's far from forgiven by many voters who held their nose to mash the touch screen button for his victory. 

Across the district, voters told Patch they voted for Sanford because they couldn't stand to see a Democrat take the seat — something Sanford's campaign drove home in recent weeks. Sanford even debated a cardboard cutout of House Minority Speaker Nancy Pelosi, successfully tying his moderate Democrat opponent to out-of-state liberal Democrats. 

"I didn't vote for Mark Sanford; I voted for the Republican," said Beth Miano of North Charleston. "It was hard to vote for him. … Democrats always stand behind their people … so for the first time we're doing the same thing."

Donna Croft of Mount Pleasant echoed Miano's comments and Sanford's campaign ads. 

"I'm about voting for my children," Croft said. "I just can't see Pelosi and the Democrats buying the seat."

Mother and daughter Susan and Megan Burkheimer of Goose Creek also voted to keep a Republican in the seat.

"I had to get past the whole cheating thing," Susan Burkheimer said. "But his values, I believe in those." 

In Summerville, there was a similar story from another woman voter.

"I don't condone his moral status," Donnie Tysk of Summerville said. But she said she voted for him because he has more experience and she's "tired of Democrats in the House."

It was effective in drawing out a 31 turnout rate so he could edge out a win over his opponent. Analysts had previously predicted a turnout rate near 30 percent would favor the Republican candidate. Prior to the announcement of Sanford's win, a volunteer confidently said the campaign had high turnouts in targeted districts with needed GOP votes.

Other voters said it was not their place to judge Sanford for his infamous personal life — the international affair in 2009, the current trespassing charges brought against him by his ex-wife, and the ethics charges brought against him while he was governor.

"I know everyone makes mistakes, but that's what God is for," Peggy Burgess of Daniel Island said. "We got to make it better; we can't go on like this." 

A Summerville voter also mentioned forgiveness and God.

"He screwed up, we all do," Gayle Humbertson said. "He was the way God was pointing me … Normally I would just say — with what he did — no, but he was the one that was on my heart." 

Supporters of Sanford were thankful and jovial after the win, a win seen as a great fit for the distict and the state.

"We hae one more congressman that is going to do the right thing," Sanford volunteer Frank Leister of Charleston said. "We're so damn happy he won."

"I'm happy for him and for us in the district and the nation," volunteer Renate Leister of Charleston said. "It would have been a disaster (if he had not won)."