Stephen Colbert's sister will run for the same seat as Mark Sanford

Elizabeth Colbert-Busch could potentially be pitted against Mark Sanford in the special election

Published January 22, 2013 9:15PM (EST)

Cue your "Colbert bump" jokes, because Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, Stephen Colbert's sister, officially filed to run for Congress on Tuesday.

Colbert-Busch, a Democrat who now works for Clemson University's Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility, filed to run for the South Carolina seat vacated by Tim Scott, who was appointed to the Senate to fill Jim DeMint's seat.

She faces two potential challengers in the Democratic primary, and, if she wins, could face former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford in the general election. 

Sanford, who left office in disgrace after his affair came to light in 2009, announced he will run last week, and faces Teddy Turner, the son of media mogul Ted Turner, as well as "five current and former GOP state lawmakers, a local sheriff and a Charleston city councilman," according to the Washington Post.

Turner already released a 30-second ad last week, the first in the race so far, as part of a 10-day ad buy costing $60,000.

Watch:

The primaries will be held on March 19, and the general election is set for May 7, according to the National Journal.


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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