New Poll Shows Colbert Busch Leading Sanford in SC’s 1st Congressional District

In the upcoming special election in South Carolina’s first congressional district to fill the term of Tim Scott who was named to replace Jim DeMint when he resigned from the US Senate to head the Heritage Foundation, new figures from North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling (PPP) show Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch expanding her lead to 9 points over Mark Sanford at 50% to 41%. Green Party candidate Eugene Platt polls at 3%.

According to the poll, Colbert Busch has a 51% to 35% advantage with independent voters, is favored by 19% of Republicans, and loses 7% of Democrats.

Sanford’s numbers show him with a 38% favorable rating among likely voters while 56% responded that they have a negative opinion of the former governor.

In light of last week’s reports regarding trespassing charges filed against Sanford by his ex-wife, 65% of identified GOP voters say the trespassing charges don’t give them any doubts about him, and his favorability with them has improved from 55% / 39% a month ago to now 61% / 32%.

PPP’s president Dean Debnam said that while Colbert Busch is strengthening her lead, “The only question is whether an extremely unpopular Sanford can find some way to make voters like her even less than him in the next two weeks.”

PPP surveyed 796 likely voters from April 19th to 21st. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.5%.