A special election for South Carolina's 1st congressional district was held on May 7, 2013, to fill the seat following the resignation of U.S. Representative Tim Scott, who was appointed to the United States Senate by Governor Nikki Haley to fill the seat previously held by Jim DeMint. DeMint resigned from the Senate on January 2, 2013, to accept a position as president of The Heritage Foundation.

The filing period for candidates lasted between January 18 and January 28, 2013. The special primary elections took place on March 19, 2013. Businesswoman Elizabeth Colbert Busch won the Democratic Party primary and Mark Sanford, the former governor of South Carolina who held the seat from 1995 to 2001, advanced to a runoff with former Charleston County Councilman Curtis Bostic for the Republican Party nomination. Prior to the runoff, 14 Republicans and one Democrat signed the "Reject the Debt" pledge put out by the nonpartisan Coalition to Reduce Spending. In the runoff election on April 2, Sanford defeated Bostic. Eugene Platt, a James Island Public Service Commissioner, was nominated by the South Carolina Green Party. In the general election on May 7, Sanford received 54% of the vote, beating Colbert Busch (45%) and Platt (1%).

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared Keith Blandford, businessman and Libertarian nominee for this district in 2012 Curtis Bostic, former Charleston County Councilman (defeated in runoff) Ric Bryant, engineer Larry Grooms, state senator Jonathan Rath Hoffman, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, former director of border security at the White House Jeff King, engineer for a military contractor John R. Kuhn, former state senator Tim Larkin, defense engineer and member of the South Carolina Army National Guard Chip Limehouse, state representative Peter M. McCoy Jr., state representative Elizabeth Moffly, member of the Charleston County School Board Ray Nash, former Dorchester County Sheriff Andy Patrick, state representative Shawn Pinkston, attorney Mark Sanford, former Governor of South Carolina and former U.S. Representative (won primary) Teddy Turner, high school teacher and son of Ted TurnerSmith, Bruce. Ted Turner's son vying in SC congressional primary , Associated Press, January 23, 2013.

Declined Carroll Campbell III, businessperson and son of former governor Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. George E. Campsen III, state senator Tom Davis, state senator Larry Kobrovsky, former Charleston County School Board member Joe McKeown, chief of staff for Tim Scott and former Charleston County Councilman James H. Merrill, state representative Thomas Ravenel, former state treasurer Jenny Sanford, former First Lady of South Carolina Duffie Stone, Judicial Circuit Solicitor Elliott Summey, Charleston County Councilman Paul Thurmond, state senator

Primary

Results

Runoff

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror CurtisBostic MarkSanford Other UndecidedPublic Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling March 22–24, 2013 648 ± 3.9% 40% 53% — 7%

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared Elizabeth Colbert Busch, director of business development at Clemson University’s Restoration Institute, (won primary; also nominated by the South Carolina Working Families Party) Ben Frasier, perennial candidate, former aide to Congressman L. Mendel Rivers

Withdrawn Bobbie Rose, former teacher and nominee for the 1st district in 2012 Martin Skelly, businessperson

Declined Robert Burton, pilot and retired Air Force Colonel Wendell Gilliard, state representative Blaine Lotz, Chairman of the Beaufort County Democratic Party Leon Stavrinakis, state representative

Primary

Results

Green Party

On the Ballot Eugene Platt, James Island Public Service Commissioner and 1990 Democratic Party candidate for the 1st district (won primary)

Declared Larry Carter Center, political activist

General election On May 7, 2013, Mark Sanford won the election and took the seat vacated by U.S. Representative Tim Scott.

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror MarkSanford (R) ElizabethColbert Busch (D) EugenePlatt (G) UndecidedPublic Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling May 4–5, 2013 1,239 ± 2.8% 47% 46% 4% 4%RRH/PMI PollingRRH/PMI Polling April 29 – May 1, 2013 650 ± 5% 46% 46% — 8%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling April 19–21, 2013 796 ± 3.5% 41% 50% 3% 5%Lake Research Partners (D–Colbert–Busch)Lake Research Partners (D–Colbert–Busch) March 25–27, 2013 500 ± 4.4% 44% 47% — 7%Public Policy Polling March 22–24, 2013 1,175 ± 2.9% 45% 47% — 8%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror CurtisBostic (R) ElizabethColbert Busch (D) EugenePlatt (G) Other UndecidedLake Research Partners^Lake Research Partners^ March 25–27, 2013 500 ± 4.4% 39% 48% — — 10%Public Policy Polling March 22–24, 2013 1,175 ± 2.9% 43% 43% — — 14%

Results

County results +Vote breakdown by county Mark SanfordRepublican Elizabeth Colbert BuschDemocratTotal County Votes % Votes % VotesBeaufort17,89652.60%14,87143.71%34,020Berkeley15,13760.90%8,67034.88%24,856Charleston32,01950.18%29,05645.54%63,809Colleton27269.21%10927.74%393Dorchester12,27659.72%7,44036.19%20,557

References

External links Elizabeth Colbert Busch for Congress Eugene Platt for Congress Mark Sanford for Congress