Colbert's sister faces long odds in the race for the Charleson-area seat. | REUTERS No joke: A Colbert running for House

This Colbert candidacy is for real.

Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, Stephen’s sister, is running as a Democrat for Congress. The sibling of the Comedy Central host — whose pretend flirtations with public office have been a running joke on his show — plans to file Tuesday to run for ex-Rep. (and now Sen.) Tim Scott’s House seat.


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If she wins the Democratic primary, it could mean a doozy of a general election battle against Mark Sanford, the disgraced ex-governor who’s mounting his own bid for the 1st District seat.

Sanford, who is seeking to resuscitate his political career after admitting to an extra-marital affair with an Argentinian woman in 2009, is the favored candidate in a crowded Republican field that includes Teddy Turner, the son of cable television executive Ted Turner.

The South Carolina Democratic Party confirmed Colbert-Busch’s entrance into the contest. It’s possible that other Democratic candidates could enter the race.

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Colbert-Busch is a political neophyte: She works as director of sales and marketing at Clemson University and previously held a top marketing job for Orient Overseas Container Line.

“I think she’s a very talented person. I think she’s got the ability to raise money. I think she can create a contrast with the Republican candidate – certainly Mark Sanford,” South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian told POLITICO.

Colbert-Busch faces long odds in the race for the Charleson-area seat, which heavily favors Republicans. Party nominees will be chosen in a March 19 primary, and an April 2 runoff will be held if no candidate wins at least 50 percent of the vote. The general election is slated for May 7.

Sanford launched his campaign this week, promoting himself as a fierce conservative who would combat federal spending and promising that he would address his affair head-on. Sanford’s ex-wife, Jenny Sanford, had herself been weighing a bid for the seat before deciding against it.

In an interview with a local television station this week, Sanford called himself a “wounded warrior.”

“It’s hard,” Sanford told the station. “I’m scared to death in human terms. I mean, as I say, I’m a wounded warrior. I’m going to step out as best I can and try and advance ideas that I’ve long believed in. But it’s not without fear and trepidation because you know you’re going to get hit, and you’re going to get hit hard.”

Other Republican candidates include state Sen. Larry Grooms and state Rep. Chip Limehouse.