Bruce Smith / AP

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford answers questions from reporters after voting in Charleston, S.C., on Tuesday, April 2, 2013.

Scandal-tarred former governor Mark Sanford moved one step closer to political redemption on Tuesday, winning a special Republican primary runoff and setting the stage for a showdown with Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch for a seat in Congress to represent South Carolina's 1st Congressional District. 

Fueled by his high name recognition and fund raising advantage, Sanford defeated former Charleston County Council member Curtis Bostic to become the Republican nominee for the hotly contested open seat, the Associated Press declared.

"While God may be a God of second chances, in times voters are a little bit less forgiving, and in that regard it has been an amazing journey," Sanford told supporters gathered at a victory party in Mount Pleasant, S.C.

On March 19, Sanford earned 37 percent of the vote to beat out 15 other candidates in the Republican primary. Because he failed to break the 50 percent threshold, he faced a runoff with Bostic, the second-place finisher.

Attention now turns to the high-profile contest between Sanford — the former governor of the state who became a national punchline after attempting to sneak off to Argentina to visit his mistress — and Colbert Busch, a former businesswoman and sister of satirist Stephen Colbert.

Sanford represented the coastal district from 1995 to 2001 before occupying the governor's mansion in Columbia. The seat opened in December after Gov. Nikki Haley appointed congressman Tim Scott to the U.S. Senate, to fill the seat left vacated by Jim DeMint who abruptly jumped ship to head a conservative think tank.

Despite Sanford's tumultuous tenure as governor, he is still largely seen as the early front runner in the traditionally conservative district.

And while Republicans voting in the primary seemed to have forgiven Sanford, Colbert Busch supporters argue the Democrat can make inroads with voters still uneasy about the Republican's past, especially women.

Bostic attempted to make Sanford's transgressions an issue during the runoff campaign, calling his rival "a compromised candidate" during their only debate.

"Democrats are excited at the possibility of taking this seat back," he said.

Sanford kicked off his campaign by acknowledging his past mistakes and apologizing for them. “If we live long enough, we’re going to fail at something and I absolutely failed in my personal life and in my marriage, but one place I didn’t ever fail was with the taxpayers,” he said on the TODAY show in February.

But the former governor quickly tried to switch the focus of his message to his record as a fiscal conservative, a song that plays well in the district vacated by Scott, a darling among the tea party.

Yet, already showing an impressive fund-raising prowess and with help from her famous brother, Colbert Busch may be able to mount a tougher challenge than most Democrats have been able to in South Carolina's low country. Her campaign released a poll last week showing her leading Sanford, and she has had some success courting Republican donors in the red district.

The general election will be held May 7.

Moments after the Associated Press declared Sanford the winner, Colbert Busch released a statement congratulating her opponent, saying she looked forward to a "vigorous campaign."

Also included was a statement from the campaign's spokesperson James Smith, who said Sanford "simply has the wrong values for our community."

Bruce Smith / AP

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford speaks with reporters on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, at a polling place in Charleston, S.C.

A disgraced ex-governor and the sister of a popular comedian came out victorious on Tuesday in South Carolina's special congressional primary, possibly setting the stage for an uncommonly tight race for what is normally a Republican safe seat.

Republicans in South Carolina's 1st congressional district showed forgiveness by supporting Mark Sanford after a campaign focused as much on the former governor's personal transgressions as his record. Sanford came out on top of the crowded 16-candidate Republican primary, according to the Associated Press.

Sanford, who gained more than 35 percent of the vote, will face a runoff election on April 2 against the second place finisher. The race for the Republican runner-up was much closer and votes were still being tallied late into the night.

Also victorious on Tuesday was Elizabeth Colbert Busch — the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert — who easily won the Democratic primary and will face off against the winner of the Republican run-off election in May.

The seat opened in December when then-Rep. Tim Scott was appointed to fill the Senate seat vacated by Jim DeMint.

Bruce Smith / AP

Elizabeth Colbert Bush, the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert, shares a laugh with reporters after voting in Mount Pleasant, S.C., on Tuesday, March 19, 2013.

Sanford's bizarre disappearance from the governor's mansion in 2009 became fodder for comedians and political onlookers alike after it was revealed he lied about hiking in the Appalachian Trail in order to visit his mistress in Argentina. He served out his term, but faced ethics fines, a divorce from his wife of 21 years, and what many thought was the end of a promising political career.

He has spent the years since asking for forgiveness and acknowledging his mistakes, but he attempted to keep the focus of his campaign on his record as a conservative spender in as a governor and in Congress. 

“If we live long enough, we’re going to fail at something and I absolutely failed in my personal life and in my marriage, but one place I didn’t ever fail was with the taxpayers,” he said on the Today show last month.

Still, Republican rivals competing in the primary criticized Sanford for using his candidacy as much as a PR tour as a bid for Congress.

“His personal tour of redemption now is a disservice to the people of the Lowcountry who are looking for the next leader to represent them in Congress,” Mike Biundo, an adviser to rival candidate Andy Patrick, said in a statement.

Throughout the campaign the well-funded Sanford was seen as the GOP front runner to reach the runoff.  According to the non-profit Sunlight foundation, the former governor raised more than $300,000 with contributions from well-known Republican financiers David Koch and Foster Friess, the billionaire who largely bankrolled Rick Santorum's presidential campaign. 

Sanford also enjoys a name recognition level much higher than his rivals, fueled both by his tumultuous tenure as governor and the fact he served as the representative from South Carolina's 1st district from 1995 to 2001.

Sanford's front-runner status made the primary largely a race for second place, where Teddy Turner, son of media-mogul Ted Turner,  locked in a television ad war with Chip Limehouse. Turner painted Limehouse, a member of South Carolina's house of representatives, as a career politician. Limehouse accuses Turner of duping business investors out of millions of dollars.

Rivaling Sanford's funding on the Democratic side is Colbert Busch, whose famous brother has campaigned for her and talked about her on his satirical Comedy Central talk show.

Colbert Busch supporters argue their candidate can make inroads amongst those still unforgiving of Sanford's actions.

"I want to say to the voters of the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina, Democrats, Independents and Republicans, I have been listening and I hear you. I understand your frustrations and your aspirations. I will never stop listening to you-and I am ready to be your voice in Washington," Colbert Busch said in a statement released after her win.