Sanford trails Colbert Busch 45 to 47 percent in a new poll. | AP Photos Poll: Colbert Busch edges Sanford

Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch has a slight edge over former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford in a potential special congressional election, according to a new poll Tuesday.

Busch, the sister of Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert and an administrator at Clemson University, leads Sanford 47 percent to 45 percent - a gap that is within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points, according to the Public Policy Polling survey.


Sanford left the governorship in disgrace after admitting to lying to his staff and flying to Argentina to meet his mistress. Sanford, who won the initial primary with 37 percent of the vote, leads GOP rival Curtis Bostic ahead of their April 2 run-off, 53 percent to 40 percent, PPP found.

GOP Sen. Tim Scott, whose promotion to the upper chamber set up the run-off, won reelection last November with 62 percent of the vote in the district, which hugs the southern half of the Palmetto State’s coastline. But in a match-up with Sanford, Colbert is winning 55 percent of independents and stealing 15 percent of the district’s Republicans.

Sanford’s unpopularity is giving Busch a shot. Fifty-eight percent of the district’s voters have an unfavorable opinion of their former governor and congressman, and 34 percent have a favorable view. Busch is viewed favorably by 45 percent of voters and unfavorably by 31 percent, PPP found.

Bostic, a former Charleston County Council member, gives Busch a stiffer challenge, with each drawing 43 percent of the vote.

Both Colbert and Sanford could deploy well-liked surrogates ahead of the May 7 general election. Thirty-six percent of the district has a favorable opinion of Stephen Colbert, and 27 percent have a negative opinion. But Jenny Sanford, Mark’s ex-wife, would be a true weapon: 55 percent of the district views her favorably and only 18 percent have a negative opinion.

The survey of 1,175 likely voters was conducted from March 22 to March 24.