Stephen Colbert Breaks Character To Stump For Sister In Congressional Race

Stephen Colbert went out of character last week to help his sister in her quest to earn a vacant Congressional seat in South Carolina.

Colbert hosted a fundraiser at a bowling alley in South Carolina, then gave a sincere and heartfelt endorsement of Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, saying she is the first politician he’s ever supported.

“He talks about politics all the time, and he has stuck his toe in the waters of American politics, and occasionally his finger in the eye of American politics, but I have never actually supported any candidate before,”Colbert said of the character he portrays on his Comedy Central show. He added that if he didn’t support Colbert-Busch, his 92-year-old mother would be very “disappointed.”

In his speech, Colbert went after Republicans for opposing “no-brainer” legislation like the Violence Against Women Act, Mediaite noted.

The Congressional race actually has a connection to Colbert’s character, Reuters noted. When Senator Jim DeMint retired, several fans advocated for South Carolina governor Nikki Haley to appoint Colbert to the position. Haley instead appointed Rep. Tim Scott, and Colbert’s sister decided to try for Scott’s open seat.

Stephen Colbert’s sister isn’t the only family family member trying to win the seat. Ted Turner’s son, Teddy Turner, also threw his hat in the ring. Though Ted Turner is a noted liberal, Teddy Turner is entering the race as a Republican.

Though Stephen Colbert stumped for his sister in South Carolina, he said he doesn’t plan on devoting any time on his show to advocate for his sister … sort of. Addressing her run, Colbert said, “As a broadcast journalist, I am obligated to maintain broad objectivity. It doesn’t matter that my sister is intelligent, hardworking, compassionate, and dedicated to the people of South Carolina.”