Late. Tim Scott, RS.C., questions former executives of failed banks during a May 16 Senate Banking Committee hearing.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
hide caption
change caption
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Late. Tim Scott, RS.C., questions former executives of failed banks during a May 16 Senate Banking Committee hearing.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Ahead of a “major announcement” in his hometown of North Charleston, SC, on Monday, Republican Sen. Tim Scott has been quietly running for president. In a filing with the Federal Election Commission on Friday, Scott filed a declaration of candidacy as a member of the Republican Party. The office searched? Chairman.
This filing comes after months of speculation about Scott’s political ambitions. He previously announced a presidential exploratory committee in April that allowed him to raise money without the FEC’s strict scrutiny. A little over a month later, he is now ready to turn the investigative committee into a conventional campaign.
This filing and the upcoming announcement also come on the heels of Scott’s “Faith in America” tour, during which he traveled the country — especially early voter states like Iowa and New Hampshire — sharing his vision for America, leaning heavily into culture war issues , including education.
At a Faith and Freedom event in Iowa, Scott wooed a crowd of conservative Christian voters like a Southern preacher — a job he said his mother wanted him to have.
“If you think we need a little more AB-C’s and a little less CRT, let me hear you scream!” Scott said. “Hallelujah.”
The comment about CRT, or Critical Race Theory, highlights the trajectory Scott will take as a candidate. He is the only black Republican in the US Senate and has long espoused conservative views while speaking candidly about race and his experiences as a black man in America.
Scott becomes the second South Carolina Republican to jump into the race; former Gov. Nikki Haley announced her candidacy in February. South Carolina is an early voting state for both Republicans and Democrats in 2024.
