Stephen Colbert is breaking character. The faux-conservative comedian says he'll support his sister's run for the House of Representatives in their home state of South Carolina, even if he needs to shed his media persona to do it.
"She's my sister, and I'm willing to, you know, break the jewel of my own creation to try to do something for her," Colbert told CNN. "I'm not worried what it would do to me or my show to try to help her as myself, not as my character, and to help her as myself."
Elizabeth Colbert-Busch is a South Carolina businesswoman and the elder sister of the television pundit. On Tuesday, she won the Democratic primary for the special House election to fill the seat of Republican Tim Scott.
Scott was appointed to the Senate by Governor Nikki Haley, replacing Jim DeMint who retired to head the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
Colbert-Busch faces an uphill battle for the House seat in a decidedly Republican district, so she'll need as much of her brother's star power as she can get, and the comedian is holding nothing back. "If people think that's not the right thing for me to do, I don't care," Colbert said. "It's my sister and I'm willing to help her."
On the Republican side, former Gov. Mark Sanford is attempting a political comeback, though he will need to defeat Charleston County Council member Curtis Bostic in a runoff on Mar. 28 first. Sandford is the favorite, although voters may hold his past against him. In 2009, Sanford disappeared, ostensibly on a camping trip, which later turned out to be an overseas extramarital affair.
Sanfaod has since left his wife and is still with his mistress, a native of Argentina.
The Democratic National Committee is officially backing Colbert-Busch, as are local unions. The general election will be held May. 7.
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