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No joke: Colbert is top choice to replace Sen. DeMint, says poll

South Carolina governor Nikki Haley says she won't appoint a placeholder to take Jim Demint's seat in the Senate, but rather someone who could serve for years.
Comedian Stephen Colbert. (Photo: Jason DeCrow/AP)
Comedian Stephen Colbert.

South Carolina governor Nikki Haley says she won't appoint a placeholder to take Jim Demint's seat in the Senate, but rather someone who could serve for years.

The leading contenders may well be a couple of Republicans currently serving in the House of Representatives, but a new PPP poll finds the favorite among South Carolinians would be comedian Stephen Colbert.

The South Carolina native would get 20% of the vote, according to the PPP, while Republican Rep.Tim Scott received 15%, and conservative Rep. Trey Gowdy polled at 14% among likely voters.

 Another 11% indicated that they would pick Jenny Sanford, the ex-wife of the state's former governor Mark Sanford.

DeMint is leaving his job on Capitol Hill next year to head the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Colbert claims he's up for the job. Last week, the satirist took to Twitter, writing “tweet @nikkihaley & tell her why I belong in the US Senate. For one, I wouldn’t just block legislation, I’d body check it!”

Haley responded with a simple “Stephen, thank you for your interest in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat.”