GALIVANTS FERRY, S.C. — Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina started his reelection campaign on Monday, claiming that he and fellow Republicans provide growth and stability for voters in this highly conservative state.
Scott, 55, has stated that he would not seek for Senate again until 2022. He has been one of the GOP’s go-to standouts, particularly on matters of race and police, as the chamber’s lone Black Republican.
Scott was also scheduled to speak during the Republican National Convention in 2020.
However, Scott’s time in the limelight has not been entirely partisan. He has led a bipartisan push on policing changes this year, with negotiators announcing last week that they had reached an agreement on a fundamental framework.
Scott, who was elected to a full Senate term in 2016, already has the support of former President Donald Trump, who offered him his “complete and utter endorsement” in a statement released through his Save America PAC earlier this year. According to FiveThirtyEight, he regularly sided with Trump in the Senate, voting with him about 91 percent of the time.
Every Republican member of South Carolina’s congressional delegation, with the exception of U.S. Rep. Tom Rice, has endorsed him in the video. The 7th District congressman, who is facing a crowded contest after voting to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 insurgency, told The Associated Press that he was not requested to appear in the ad but supports Scott’s reelection.
The video also features praise from former Trump administration officials, including Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who may be part of a GOP presidential field with Scott.
Scott remains popular in South Carolina, according to Drew McKissick, chairman of the Republican Party of South Carolina.
Several Democrats, including Spartanburg County Democratic Party Chairwoman Angela Geter and state Sen. Krystle Matthews, have announced their candidacies to run against Scott. Since 2006, no Democrat has won a statewide election in South Carolina.