Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was chosen by voters to fill the U.S. House of Representatives, District 1, seat in the special general election held Tuesday, May 7.

[caption id="attachment_11078" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mark-Sanford-4-4-1-e1368100140924.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-11078" alt="Mark Sanford speaks at The Arsenal in Beaufort during his campaign for the First Congressional District seat." src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mark-Sanford-4-4-1-300x300.jpg" width="300" height="300" /></a> Mark Sanford speaks at The Arsenal in Beaufort during his campaign for the First Congressional District seat.[/caption]

Unofficial results, with all five counties reporting, show the Republican Sanford at 54 percent over his opponent Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch.

In Beaufort County, Sanford collected about 53 percent, with Colbert Busch at nearly 47 percent. With all 80 precincts reporting, voter turnout was deemed high by election officials at 33 percent.

Sanford beat out 15 other candidates in the primary to represent the Republican Party in his first return to politics since he resigned as governor in 2009. He previously served as the First Congressional District representative from 1995-2001.

Sanford grew up in Beaufort and his family still lives in the area.