Elizabeth Colbert Busch

Last updated
Elizabeth Colbert Busch
Born
Elizabeth Colbert

(1954-12-10) December 10, 1954 (age 67)
Alma mater College of Charleston (BA)
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s)
  • Robert Legare (div.)
  • Claus Wyman Busch III
Children3
Parent(s)
Relatives Stephen Colbert (brother)

Elizabeth Colbert Busch (born December 10, 1954) [1] [2] is an American economist and politician who is the Director of Business Development at Clemson University's Restoration Institute, [3] and was the Democratic Party nominee for the 2013 special election for South Carolina's 1st congressional district, losing to Mark Sanford. [4] [5] She is the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert. [6]

Contents

Early life and education

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Colbert Busch is the eighth of eleven children of parents James William Colbert Jr., who served as the first Vice President of Academic Affairs at the Medical University of South Carolina, and Lorna (née Tuck) Colbert, who was a homemaker. [7] [8]

The Colbert family is of 15/16ths Irish ancestry; one of her paternal great-great-grandmothers was of German and English descent. [9] [10] Many of her ancestors emigrated from Ireland to North America in the 19th century before and during the Great Famine. [11] [12] [13] [10]

Colbert Busch briefly attended the University of South Carolina, but returned to Charleston after her father and two brothers Peter and Paul were among the 71 passengers who died on Eastern Air Lines Flight 212, in 1974. [14] She then enrolled in the College of Charleston, receiving her B.A. in Intermodal Transportation and Logistics Management, and was named to the National Dean's List in 1988. [15]

Elizabeth Colbert Busch is married to Claus Wyman Busch III. She has three children with her ex-husband Robert Legare: Mary Legare Middleton (grandchildren Elizabeth Ann and Thomas Bradley Middleton Jr.); Robert Walker Legare Jr; and Catherine Ann Legare. [15]

She was arrested in 1988 for contempt of court during her divorce from her previous husband. [16]

Career

After graduating, she completed a South Carolina State Ports Authority business development internship, and worked for Associated Maritime Industries Inc, as a liaison between the AMI and the U.S. Federal and State Governments. [17] She then worked as the Regional Director for Sales and Marketing and the Director of Business Development at Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), where she was responsible for international maritime relations and South Atlantic and North American sales. [18] [19] She left OOCL in 2008, when she was hired as Director of Business Development at Clemson University's Restoration Institute, described by the Charleston Post and Courier as "the school's corporate matchmaker" for the university's development projects for wind turbine testing, water studies, and renewable energy. [17] [20] Colbert Busch also works as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Clemson's Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility. [21]

Colbert Busch is a founder and former member of the Executive Board of Directors of Charleston Women in International Trade, and former member of the College of Charleston's Business College Alumni Advisory Board. [22] She has served as chairwoman of the 2006 S.C. International Trade Conference, the chairwoman of the Maritime Association Port of Charleston and is board member of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. [23] [24]

2013 congressional campaign

On January 18, 2013, Colbert Busch announced that she would run as a Democrat in the 2013 special election for South Carolina's 1st congressional district to fill the vacancy created when Tim Scott was appointed to the United States Senate after incumbent Senator Jim DeMint resigned to head conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. [25] In the March 19 Democratic primary, she was to face Charleston businessman Martin Skelly, the founder of the Russian-based private equity firm UFG Asset Management. [26]

On February 11, 2013, Martin Skelly dropped out of the race, endorsing Colbert Busch. [27]

On March 19, 2013, Colbert Busch handily won the Democratic primary with over 95% of the vote compared to perennial candidate Ben Frasier's 4%. In the special election she was defeated by former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. [28] [29] Colbert Busch garnered 45.3% of the vote compared to Sanford's 54.2%. [30]

Colbert Busch supported background checks as part of a gun control bill that was defeated by the U.S. Senate. [31]

Related Research Articles

Edisto Beach, South Carolina Town in South Carolina, United States

Edisto Beach is a town in Colleton County, South Carolina, United States. Edisto Beach's population was 414 as of the 2010 census, down from 641 in 2000. The town limits include only the developed coastal area of Edisto Island within Colleton County, while the majority of the island consists of unincorporated land in Charleston County. Due to its status as a bedroom community, Edisto Beach is among the most affluent communities in the state.

Clemson University University in South Carolina, United States

Clemson University is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enrolled a total of 20,195 undergraduate students and 5,627 graduate students, and the student/faculty ratio was 18:1. Clemson's 1,400-acre campus is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The campus now borders Lake Hartwell, which was formed by the dam completed in 1962. The university manages the nearby 17,500-acre Clemson Experimental Forest that is used for research, education, and recreation.

Stephen Colbert American comedian, writer, actor, and television host

Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program The Colbert Report from 2005 to 2014 and the CBS talk program The Late Show with Stephen Colbert beginning in September 2015.

Mark Sanford 115th governor of South Carolina

Marshall ClementSanford Jr. is an American politician and author. A Republican, Sanford is a former governor of South Carolina and a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Jim Hodges American politician

James Hovis Hodges is an American businessman, attorney, and politician who served as the 114th governor of South Carolina from 1999 to 2003. Since his victory in 1998, Hodges has remained the only Democrat elected to the South Carolina Governor's office since the 1982 election.

James Island, South Carolina Town in South Carolina, United States

James Island is a town in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. It is located in the central and southern parts of James Island. James Island is included within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area.

South Carolinas 1st congressional district U.S. House district for South Carolina

The 1st congressional district of South Carolina is a coastal congressional district in South Carolina, represented by Republican Nancy Mace since January 3, 2021. She succeeded Democrat Joe Cunningham, having defeated him in the 2020 election. Cunningham was the first Democrat to represent the district since the 1980s.

Stephen Colbert (character) Persona of political satirist Stephen Colbert

The Reverend Sir Dr. Stephen T. Mos Def Colbert D.F.A., Heavyweight Champion of the World, or Stephen Colbert, is the fictionalized persona of political satirist Stephen Colbert, as portrayed on the Comedy Central series The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and occasionally on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS. Described as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot" and a "self-important right-wing commentator", the character incorporates aspects of the real Colbert's life and interests but is primarily a parody of cable news pundits, particularly former Fox News prime time host Bill O'Reilly.

Nikki Haley American politician

NimrataNikkiHaley is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Nations for two years, from January 2017 to January 2019.

Jennifer Sullivan Sanford is the former First Lady of South Carolina and a former investment banker. She was married to Governor Mark Sanford.

John Mark Hammond is an American Republican politician from South Carolina. He has served as South Carolina Secretary of State since January 15, 2003.

Christopher Werner American architect

Christopher W. Werner (1805–1875) was a nineteenth-century wrought iron manufacturer, artisan, and entrepreneur based in Charleston, South Carolina, US. He was one of three noted German-American ironworkers in Charleston, who created most of its high-quality wrought iron. He had immigrated from Prussia in his late 20s, already an accomplished businessman. In Charleston he married a young woman from England, another immigrant, and they had a family.

Elizabeth Timothy American publisher (c. 1700 – 1757)

Elizabeth Timothy or Elisabet Timothee was a colonial American printer and newspaper publisher in the colony of South Carolina. Timothy was a French Huguenot Dutch immigrant that came to colonial America with her family. She was the first American woman to become a newspaper publisher and also the first to hold a franchise in America. Timothy reported on the 1740 Charleston fire that destroyed a major portion of the town. She published government documents and other materials for the colonial United States, and worked for Benjamin Franklin.

2014 United States Senate special election in South Carolina Election

The 2014 United States Senate special election in South Carolina took place on November 4, 2014, concurrently with the regular election for the other South Carolina Senate seat. The special-election Senate seat was formerly held by Republican Jim DeMint, who resigned on January 1, 2013, to become president of the Heritage Foundation.

2013 South Carolinas 1st congressional district special election

A special election for South Carolina's 1st congressional district was held on May 7, 2013, to fill the seat following the resignation of U.S. Representative Tim Scott, who was appointed to the United States Senate by Governor Nikki Haley to fill the seat previously held by Jim DeMint. DeMint resigned from the Senate on January 1, 2013, to accept a position as president of The Heritage Foundation.

Marjory Heath Wentworth is an American poet. She was named by Governor Mark Sanford as the sixth South Carolina Poet Laureate in 2003.

Coalition to Reduce Spending

Coalition to Reduce Spending is a non-partisan political advocacy group based in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. The mission of the Coalition to Reduce Spending is to advocate for reduced federal spending and balanced budgets. The coalition believes all United States federal spending should be open for reduction.

James William Colbert Jr. American physician

James William Colbert Jr. was an American physician and the first vice president of academic affairs at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), serving in this capacity from 1969 until his death in a plane crash in 1974. He is the father of Stephen Colbert and Elizabeth Colbert Busch.

Bernice Robinson

Bernice Robinson (1914–1994) was an American activist in the Civil Rights Movement and education proponent who helped establish adult Citizenship Schools in South Carolina. Becoming field supervisor of adult education for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), she led political education workshops throughout the south, in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and other states to teach adult reading skills so that blacks would be able to pass literacy tests to vote. Between 1970 and 1975, Robinson worked for the South Carolina Commission for Farm Workers, supervising VISTA workers and directing day care centers. In both 1972 and 1974, she unsuccessfully ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives, becoming the first African American woman to run for a political office in the state.

2013 United States House of Representatives elections Elections

These six off-year races featured special elections to the 113th United States Congress to fill vacancies due to resignations or deaths in the United States House of Representatives. Two were due to Congressmen taking seats in the United States Senate, one resigned to take jobs in the private sector, one resigned to take a job in the public sector, and one resigned due to an impending federal indictment regarding misuse of campaign funds.

References

  1. Behre, Robert (February 22, 2013). "Colbert Busch touts her business background". The Post and Courier. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  2. Donovan, Bryce (February 6, 2010). "Tough times have taught comedian's sister to love life". The Post and Courier. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  3. "Colbert-Busch Biography". clemsonenergy.com. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  4. Aaron Blake (January 18, 2013). "Stephen Colbert's sister will run for Congress". The Washington Post .
  5. "Stephen Colbert's Sister Plots House Run in South Carolina". news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  6. John Johnson (January 18, 2013). "Colbert for Congress? Yep—but It's His Sister ELIZABETH COLBERT-BUSCH WILL RUN AS DEMOCRAT IN SOUTH CAROLINA". newser.com. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  7. "Comedian Stephen Colbert's sister to run for Congress". Hartford Courant . Retrieved January 18, 2013.[ dead link ]
  8. "MUSC honors memory of Dr. Jim Colbert" (PDF). dev.musc.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  9. Smolenyak, Megan. "Stephen Colbert: One Last Report (It's Genealogical)". Irish America Magazine. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Gagnon, Geoffrey (2010). "Top of Mind: Extended Q & A with Henry Louis Gates Jr". Boston. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  11. "Faces of America: Stephen Colbert" Archived March 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , PBS, Faces of America series, with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2010).
  12. "Pedigree of Stephen Colbert" Archived February 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine , AncestorTree.net; retrieved August 29, 2010.
  13. Dowd, Maureen (November 16, 2006). "America's Anchors". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved December 9, 2006.
  14. "Stephen Colbert On Insincerity". CBS News. February 11, 2009. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Biography of Elizabeth Colbert-Busch" (PDF). Charleston Women in International Trade. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-24. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  16. "Colbert Busch discusses 1988 contempt-of-court arrest with Charleston news affiliate". The Island Packet. 7 May 2013. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  17. 1 2 "Clemson hires development director for Restoration Institute". clemson.edu. February 26, 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  18. "S.C. International Trade Conference" (PDF). scitc.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 4, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  19. "Speaker InformationElizabeth Colbert-Busch". aweaoff12.mapyourshow.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-16. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  20. "Stephen Colbert's Sister To Run For Congress". Slate. 2013-01-18. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  21. "Stephen Colbert's Sister Joins Race for Congressional Seat Vacated by South Carolina Senator Tim Scott". gawker.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  22. "Our Speaker 8/29/12 - Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, Clemson Director of Business Development" (PDF). rcmpsc.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  23. Josh Voorhees. "Today's Speaker - Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, Clemson Director of Business Development" (PDF). rcmpsc.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 9, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  24. "Elizabeth Colbert Busch honored". abcnews4.com. April 12, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  25. "No joke: Stephen Colbert's sister plans House bid". Politico. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  26. "Democrat announces run for Tim Scott's House seat". thehill.com. 2013-01-18. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  27. Miller, Joshua (February 11, 2013). "South Carolina: Skelly Exits Special Election; Colbert's Sister Now Top Democratic Contender". Roll Call . Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  28. Gentilviso, Chris (March 19, 2013). "Elizabeth Colbert Busch Wins Democratic Primary In South Carolina 1st District". HuffPost. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
  29. Isenstadt, Alex. "How Colbert Busch flipped script on Sanford". POLITICO. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  30. Bycoffe, Aaron. "Live Results: Sanford vs. Colbert Busch". HuffPost. Retrieved 2013-05-08.
  31. "Mark Sanford and Elizabeth Colbert Busch Debate at The Citadel – ICON". Ivn.us. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-02.