Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) cleared the first hurdle in his political comeback bid on Tuesday, finishing ahead of the pack in the GOP primary to fill an open House seat.
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The election was the first time the former governor has faced the voters since his fall from grace in 2009, when he lied about and then admitted to an affair with an Argentine woman.
Sanford had 37 percent of the vote in the 16-candidate GOP primary with 100 percent of precincts reporting. The Associated Press has called the race.
Sanford will now face a tougher challenge: a two-week runoff election sprint. His opponent will be either Attorney Curtis Bostic (R) or South Carolina state Sen. Larry Grooms (R), who are currently battling for second place and have vote totals in the low teens. Bostic and Grooms finished close enough that an automatic recount will occur on Friday.
