Republican Sen. Tim Scott Inches Closer to Presidential Bid

U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina speaking at the 2016 Conservative Political Actio
Gage Skidmore/Flickr
Nick Gilbertson

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) continues to inch toward a potential presidential bid with events planned in the first three Republican primary states next month while a super PAC gears up to support him.

Scott, who the Wall Street Journal reported last month was laying the groundwork for a presidential bid, is expected to come to a decision “sooner rather than later,” a person close to him told Politico as he is set to appear in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina — the first three Republican voting states — in the coming weeks.

The junior senator from the Palmetto State will be in Iowa on April 12 and New Hampshire on April 13 before hosting a “Faith in America Summit” in South Carolina in the following days, according to Politico’s Natalie Allison.

The senator’s team has reportedly been sending invitations to the summit to both national and South Carolina GOP donors, which Allison points to as the most concrete evidence that he is likely to follow through with a campaign.

A person familiar with the event told the Associated Press that “high-level fundraisers and supporters” would be in attendance.

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: U.S. President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) (L) during a signing event of an executive order to establish the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council look on December 12, 2018 at the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. The creation of the council will oversee the opportunity zones program and it will be chaired by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Then-President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) (L) during a signing event of an executive order to establish the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council look on December 12, 2018 at the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Opportunity Matters Fund Action super PAC is also aligning itself with Scott in apparent anticipation of a forthcoming presidential bid, another hint towards his plans. Former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) is heading up the PAC that raised nearly $40,000,000 between 2021 and 2022, as Open Secrets reported. It ended the midterm elections with some $13,000,000 still in its war chest.

Though the vast majority of polls show former President Donald Trump as the front-runner and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) as his closest competitor, Gardner said that Scott would have a legitimate shot at the nomination if he decides to run, according to Politico.

TOPSHOT - Republican gubernatorial candidate for Florida Ron DeSantis with his wife Casey DeSantis speaks to supporters during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on November 8, 2022. - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been tipped as a possible 2024 presidential candidate, was projected as one of the early winners of the night in Tuesday's midterm election. (Photo by Giorgio VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

Ron DeSantis (R-FL). (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

An anonymous adviser to Trump told the outlet that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has pushed for Scott to be the 45th’s presidential running mate should he win the nomination.

However, Scott’s team refuted the idea that a bid for the White House would merely be an audition for the vice presidency.

From left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speak to reporters ahead of a test vote scheduled by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York on the bipartisan infrastructure deal senators brokered with President Joe Biden, in Washington, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Republicans are prepared to block the vote over what they see as a rushed and misguided process. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

From left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speak to reporters ahead of a test vote scheduled by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York on the bipartisan infrastructure deal senators brokered with President Joe Biden, in Washington, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“The quickest way to get on the outs with Team Scott is to think of this as an exercise for vice president,” the source close to Scott told Politico.

Currently, only two other Republican candidates have joined Trump in the GOP primary field. Former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) announced her candidacy last month, as did entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

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