House Democrats reported spending almost half a million dollars to defeat former Gov. Mark Sanford’s bid for South Carolina’s 1st District.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has now invested a total of $458,000 in the special election via independent expenditures, according to Federal Election Commission records filed Monday. That’s more than double its initial buy in the race.

Sanford, a Republican, faces Democratic nominee Elizabeth Colbert Busch on May 7.

The committee disowned his candidacy
Other GOP groups followed suit.

Meanwhile, the DCCC solicited donations from supporters via email every day for the past week (except Friday) to support Colbert Busch.

House Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC, also filed notice Friday that it spent almost $90,000 on television advertising and direct mail.

This is an open-seat race to replace Tim Scott, a GOP congressman appointed to the Senate earlier this year.