Tim Scott | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States Senator fromSouth Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office January 2, 2013 Serving with Lindsey Graham | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jim DeMint | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromSouth Carolina's1st district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 2, 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Henry E. Brown Jr. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mark Sanford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theSouth Carolina House of Representatives from the 117th district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Tom Dantzler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Bill Crosby | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theCharleston County Council from the 3rd district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office February 8, 1995 – January 3, 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Keith Summey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Elliott Summey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Timothy Eugene Scott (1965-09-19)September 19, 1965 (age 60) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Republican | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Presbyterian College Charleston Southern University (BS) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Senate website Campaign website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scott on the importance of extended family members in child-rearing Recorded June 22, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Timothy Eugene Scott (born September 19, 1965) is an American businessman and politician serving since 2013 as thejuniorUnited States senator fromSouth Carolina. A member of theRepublican Party, he is the firstAfrican-American senator in theSouthern United States to bedirectly elected, the longest-serving African-American senator in U.S. history, the firstAfrican-American to serve in both the House and Senate, and the first African-American senator to chair a full committee.[1][2][3][4]
Born and raised inCharleston, Scott worked infinancial services before entering politics. He served on theCharleston County Council from 1995 to 2009, was a member of theSouth Carolina General Assembly from 2009 to 2011, and representedSouth Carolina's 1st congressional district in theU.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, GovernorNikki Haley appointed Scott to the Senate afterJim DeMint resigned. Scott won thespecial election for the seat in 2014, and was elected to a full term in2016 and reelected in2022.
In May 2023, Scott declaredhis candidacy for the2024 Republican Party presidential nomination.[5][6] He suspended his campaign in November due to low polling numbers.[7] After the 2024 elections, Scott was elected chair of theNational Republican Senatorial Committee. He also chairs theSenate Committee on Banking.[8]
Tim Scott was born on September 19, 1965, inNorth Charleston, South Carolina, to Frances, anursing assistant, and Ben Scott Sr. When Scott was seven years old, his parents divorced, leaving him and his older brother, who later became asergeant major in theU.S. Army, to grow up in working-class poverty with their mother, who often worked double shifts to support her family.[9][10]
After his parents divorced, Scott, his mother, and his older brother moved into his maternal grandparents' house. There, he formed a close bond with his grandfather.[9]
As a freshman at North Charleston'sR.B. Stall High School, he failed several subjects, prompting his mother to send him to summer school, which he had to finance by working at a local movie theater.[9] During this time, he met John Moniz, the owner of a nearbyChick-fil-A. Their initial interaction over a sandwich at Scott's workplace evolved into a substantial mentorship. Moniz educated Scott on individual responsibility, conservative business principles, philanthropy, and finance.[9]
From an early age, Scott enjoyed sports and excelled at football. He overcame racial prejudice in high school, securing election as student body vice president in his junior year and student body president as a senior.[9]
A month before his senior year, he fell asleep while driving, resulting in a car accident that dimmed his prospects as a football recruit. Nevertheless, he attendedPresbyterian College from 1983 to 1984 on a partial football scholarship. He was introduced to theFellowship of Christian Athletes, an encounter that led him to his Christian faith, which became a central part of his life.[9] Scott later transferred toCharleston Southern University, where he graduated in 1988 with aBachelor of Science degree inpolitical science.[11]
Upon graduating from college, Scott worked as aninsurance agent and financial adviser, a stepping stone toward starting his insurance agency, Tim Scott Allstate.[9]
Scott ran in a February 1995 special election for the Charleston County Councilat-large seat vacated by Keith Summey, who had resigned upon being elected mayor ofNorth Charleston.[12][13] Scott won the seat as a Republican, receiving nearly 80% of the vote in the white-majority district.[14] He became the first black Republican elected to any office in South Carolina since the late 19th century.[15]
In 1996, Scott challengedDemocratic State SenatorRobert Ford in South Carolina's 42nd Senate district but lost 65–35%.[16][17]
Scott was reelected to the Charleston County Council in 2000.[18] In 2004, he was reelected again with 61% of the vote, defeatingDemocrat Elliot Summey (son of Mayor Keith Summey).[19][20][better source needed]
Scott served on the Charleston County Council from 1995 until 2009, becoming chairman in 2007.[21] In 1997, he supported posting theTen Commandments outside the council chambers, saying it would remind members of the absolute rules they should follow. The county council unanimously approved the display, and Scott nailed aKing James version of the Commandments to the wall. Shortly thereafter, theACLU andAmericans United for Separation of Church and State challenged this in a federal suit. After an initial court ruling that the display was unconstitutional, the council settled out of court to avoid incurring more legal fees. Of the costs of the suit, Scott said, "Whatever it costs in the pursuit of this goal is worth it."[22]
In January 2001, the U.S.Department of Justice sued Charleston County, South Carolina for racial discrimination under theVoting Rights Act, because its council seats were based onat-large elections, meaning that the whole county voted to fill each seat. DOJ had attempted to negotiate with county officials on this issue in November 2000. Justice officials noted that at-large seats dilute the voting strength of the significant African American minority in the county, who in 2000 made up 34.5% of the population. They had been unable to elect any "candidates of their choice" for years. Whites or European Americans made up 61.9% of the county population.[23] County officials noted that the majority of voters in 1989 had approved electing members by at-large seats in apopular referendum.[24]
Scott, the only African American member of the county council, said of this case and the alternative of electing council members fromsingle-member districts:
I don't like the idea of segregating everyone into smaller districts. Besides, the Justice Department assumes that the only way for African-Americans to have representation is to elect an African-American, and the same for whites. Obviously, my constituents don't think that's true.[24]
The Department of Justice alleged that the issue was not a question of ethnicity, stating that voters in black precincts in the county had rejected Scott as a candidate for the council. The lawsuit noted that because of the white majority, "white bloc voting usually results in the defeat of candidates who are preferred by black voters."[24] The Department added that blacks live in compact areas of the county and could be a majority in three districts if the county seats were apportioned as nine single-member districts.[24]
The Department of Justice won the case. A new districting plan replaced the at-large method of electing the Charleston City Council. The federal court found that the former method violated the Voting Rights Act, following a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department.[25] Scott was then elected to the Charleston County Council by District 3, rather than by the whole county.[19]
In 2008, incumbent Republican State RepresentativeTom Dantzler decided to retire. With support from advisors such asNicolas Muzin,[27] Scott ran for his seat in District 117 of theSouth Carolina House of Representatives and won the Republican primary with 53% of the vote, defeating Bill Crosby and Wheeler Tillman.[28][better source needed] He won the general election unopposed,[29][better source needed] becoming the first Republican African-American State Representative in South Carolina in more than 100 years.[30][31][failed verification]
Scott supported South Carolina'sright-to-work laws and argued thatBoeing chose South Carolina as a site for manufacturing for that reason.[32]
In South CarolinaClub for Growth's 2009–2010 scorecard, Scott earned a B and a score of 80 out of 100.[33] The South Carolina Association of Taxpayers praised his "diligent, principled and courageous stands against higher taxes."[34]
Scott entered the election forlieutenant governor but switched to run forSouth Carolina's 1st congressional district after Republican incumbentHenry Brown announced his retirement. The 1st district is based inCharleston and includes approximately the northern 3/4 of the state's coastline (except forBeaufort andHilton Head Island, which were included in the2nd District after redistricting).[36]
Scott finished first in the nine-candidate June 8 Republican primary, receiving a plurality of 32% of the vote.[37] Fellow Charleston County CouncilmanPaul Thurmond was second with 16%. Carroll A. Campbell III, the son of formerGovernorCarroll A. Campbell Jr., was third with 14%.[38][39] Charleston County School Board member Larry Kobrovsky ranked fourth with 11%. Five other candidates had single-digit percentages.[40]
Arunoff was held on June 22 between Scott and Thurmond. Scott was endorsed by the Club for Growth,[41] variousTea Party movement groups, former Alaska governor and vice presidential nomineeSarah Palin,[42][43] Republican HouseWhipEric Cantor,[44] formerArkansas governorMike Huckabee,[45] and South Carolina senatorJim DeMint.[16] He defeated Thurmond[46] 68–32% and won every county in the district.[47][48]
According to theAssociated Press, Scott "swamped his opponents in fundraising, spending almost $725,000 during the election cycle to less than $20,000 for his November opponents".[42] He won the general election against Democratic nomineeBen Frasier 65–29%.[49] With this election, Scott andAllen West of Florida became the first African-American Republicans in Congress sinceJ. C. Watts retired in 2003.[50] Scott also became the first African-American Republican elected to Congress from South Carolina in 114 years.[51]
Scott was unopposed in the primary and won the general election against Democratic nominee Bobbie Rose, 62–36%.[52][better source needed][53]
Scott declined to join theCongressional Black Caucus (CBC). He recognized the efforts of the CBC but said "My campaign was never about race."[54]
In March 2011, Scott co-sponsored awelfare reform bill that the liberal blogThinkProgress said would terminatefood stamps to families when a family member participates in a labor strike; theRepublican Study Committee denied that charge.[55][56] He introduced legislation in July 2011 so that theNational Labor Relations Board could not order "any employer to relocate, shut down, or transfer employment under any circumstance".[57] The NLRB had recently opposed the relocation of aBoeing production facility from Washington state to South Carolina.[57]
Scott successfully advocated for federal funds for a Charleston harbordredging project estimated at $300 million, saying the project was neither anearmark nor an example of wasteful government spending. He said the project was merit-based and in the national interest because larger cargo ships could use the port and jobs would be created.[58] During the summer 2011 debate over raising the U.S.debt ceiling, Scott supported the inclusion of abalanced budget amendment in the debt ceiling bill, but after a day full of meetings and prayer he went from leaning No on the bill to voting No.[59][60]
The House Republican Steering Committee appointed Scott to the Committee on Transportation and the Committee on Small Business.[61] He was later appointed to the Committee on Rules and relinquished his other two assignments.[62]
On December 17, 2012, South Carolina governorNikki Haley announced she would appoint Scott to replace retiring SenatorJim DeMint, who had previously announced that he would retire from the Senate to become the President ofThe Heritage Foundation.[63] Scott is the first African American U.S. senator from South Carolina. He was one of three black U.S. Senators in the113th Congress, alongsideMo Cowan and laterCory Booker (and the first sinceRoland Burris retired in 2010 after succeedingBarack Obama). He is the first African American to be a U.S. senator from theSouthern United States sinceReconstruction.[64]
During two periods, first from January 2, 2013, until February 1, 2013, and again from July 16, 2013, until October 31, 2013, Scott was the only African American senator. He and Cowan were the first black senators to serve alongside each other.
News media reported that Scott, RepresentativeTrey Gowdy, former South Carolina Attorney GeneralHenry McMaster, former First Lady of South CarolinaJenny Sanford, and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Director Catherine Templeton were on Haley's short list to replace DeMint.[65] Of choosing Scott, Haley said, "It is important to me, as a minority female, that Congressman Scott earned this seat, he earned this seat for the person that he is. He earned this seat with the results he has shown."[66]
Scott ran to serve the final two years of DeMint's term and won.[67] In January 2014, he signed anamicus brief in support of SenatorRon Johnson's legal challenge to theU.S. Office of Personnel Management's Affordable Care Act ruling.[68][69][70]
Scott was reelected to a full term in office.[71] He was endorsed by the Club for Growth.[72]
In July 2018, Scott and senatorCory Booker and then-senatorKamala Harris introduced a bipartisan bill to makelynching a federalhate crime.[73]
In February 2019, Scott was one of 16 senators to vote against legislation preventing a partial government shutdown and containing $1.375 billion for barriers along the U.S.–Mexico border that included 55 miles of fencing.[74]
In April 2021, Scott delivered the Republican response to PresidentJoe Biden'sJoint Address to Congress.[75]
On May 28, 2021, Scott voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the2021 U.S. Capitol attack.[76][77]
In August 2019, Scott said, "I plan to run for reelection, but that will be my last one, if I run." He was reelected in2022, defeating Democratic nomineeKrystle Matthews.[78][79]
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Scott led the drafting of a bill on race and police reform.[80] Amid skeptical reactions from others in the black community, he tweeted, "Not surprising the last 24 hours have seen a lot of 'token' 'boy' or 'you're being used' in my mentions" and "Let me get this straight ... you DON'T want the person who has facedracial profiling by police, been pulled over dozens of times, or been speaking out for YEARS drafting this?".[80]
Scott's 106-page Justice Act[81] included:
The bill lacked provisions demanded by Democrats, including restrictions onqualified immunity.Nancy Pelosi called Scott's bill "inadequate",[83] and said Republicans "understand that there's a need to get something done. ... They admit that and have some suggestions that are worthy of consideration—but so far, they were trying to get away with murder, actually—the murder of George Floyd."[84] Senate Minority Whip DemocratDick Durbin called the bill "token" legislation, although he later apologized to Scott.[85] Two Democrats and one Independent senator who caucuses with Democrats broke with the party to support Scott's bill, but, ultimately, Democrats used the filibuster to block it; it received 55 of the required 60 votes.[86]
Source:[87]
In February 2023, it was reported that Scott was preparing for a presidential run.[89] He announced a "listening tour" that would include aBlack History Month event inCharleston, South Carolina, as the tour's first stop and then hosted events and speeches throughout Iowa, the first state to vote in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.[90] Other announced and suspected Republican candidates also hosted events in Iowa at the same time as Scott.[91]
On April 12, 2023, Scott formed anexploratory committee to potentially run for president.[5] On May 19, he filed with theFederal Election Commission to run for president.[92][93] He formally announced his candidacy on May 22, inNorth Charleston, South Carolina.[94]
Scott announced the suspension of his campaign onFox News'sSunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy on November 12, 2023.[7]
Scott believes that federal spending and taxes should be reduced.[16]
Scott believes theAffordable Care Act should be repealed.[16][95][96] He has said that U.S. health care is among the greatest in the world,[96] that people all over the world come to study in American medical schools, waiting lists are rare, and that Americans are able to choose their insurance, providers, and course of treatment.[96] Scott supports an alternative to the ACA that he says keeps its benefits while controlling costs by reforming the medical tort system by limiting non-economic damages[96] and by reformingMedicare.[96]
In January 2019, Scott was one of six senators to cosponsor the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act, delaying the Health Insurance Tax for two years.[97]
Scott supports infrastructure development and public works for his district.[16] He opposes restrictions on deepwater oil drilling.[16]
Scott was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.[98]
Scott describes himself aspro-life and has been a vocalopponent of abortion. He supports adult and cord bloodstem cell research,[99] but opposes taxpayer-fundedembryonic stem cell research[100] and the creation of humanembryos for experimentation.[101] In a 2023 interview, he said he would sign a 20-week federal abortion ban into law if elected president.[102] He also opposesassisted suicide.[99] While campaigning for president, he has dodged questions about whether he supports asix-week abortion ban.[103]
Scott opposessame-sex marriage,[104] and voted against theRespect for Marriage Act of 2022, which provided federal statutory recognition of same-sex marriage.[105]
In 2022 and 2023, he and SenatorRick Scott (no relation) co-sponsored thePROTECT Kids Act, a bill that would cut federal funding to schools unless they informed parents of changes in children's "pronouns, gender markers, or sex-based accommodations (including locker rooms and bathrooms)."[106] On August 23, 2023, in a debate between Republican presidential candidates, he said: "If God made you a man, you play sports—against men."[107]
Scott supports federal legislation similar toArizona SB 1070.[108] He supports strengthening penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.[108] He also promotescultural assimilation by making English the official language in the government and requiring new immigrants to learnEnglish.[108] He opposes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.[109]
Scott introduced a bill that would denyfood stamps to families whose incomes declined to the point of eligibility because a family member was participating in a labor strike.[110]
Scott advocated continuedmilitary presence in Afghanistan and believed early withdrawal would benefital-Qaeda. He viewsIran as the world's most dangerous country and believes the U.S. should aid pro-democracy groups there.[111] Scott opposed the2011 military intervention in Libya.[112]
Scott rejected calls for a ceasefire in theGaza war, saying: "You cannot negotiate with evil. You have to destroy it."[113] He opposed sending humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in theGaza Strip.[114] In a November 2023 Republican presidential primary debate, Scott suggested there could be no U.S.-Iranian diplomatic settlement; when asked aboutattacks by Iranian proxy forces in Iraq and Syria, he responded, "You actually have to cut off the head of the snake, and the head of the snake is Iran and not simply their proxies."[115]
In November 2017, in response to efforts byChina to purchase US tech companies, Scott was one of nine cosponsors of a bill that would broaden the federal government's ability to prevent foreign purchases of U.S. firms by strengthening theCommittee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to allow it to review and possibly decline smaller investments and add national security factors, including whether information about Americans would be exposed as part of transactions or whether a deal would facilitate fraud.[116]
In January 2018, Scott was one of 36 Republican senators to sign a letter asking Trump to preserve theNorth American Free Trade Agreement in modernized form.[117]
After theshooting of Walter Scott (no relation), Scott urged the Senate to hold hearings on police body cameras.[118][better source needed]
In 2017, Scott was one of 22 senators to sign a letter[119] to PresidentDonald Trump urging him to withdraw the United States from theParis Agreement. In the 2012, 2014, and 2016 election cycles, Scott's campaigns received over $540,000 in political donations from oil, gas and coal interests.[120]
Scott did not support the nomination ofRyan Bounds to the9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, effectively killing the nomination. His decision was based on what he called Bounds's "bigoted statements he made as a Stanford student in the 1990s."Marco Rubio joined him in opposing the nomination shortly thereafter, promptingMitch McConnell to drop the nomination.[121]
In November 2018, Scott bucked his party in opposing the nomination ofThomas A. Farr for a federal judgeship.[122] Farr had been accused of suppression of African-American voters.[122] Scott cited Farr's involvement in the 1984 and 1990 Senate campaigns ofJesse Helms, which sought to suppress black voters, and a 1991 memo from the Department of Justice under theGeorge H. W. Bush administration that stated that "Farr was the primary coordinator of the 1984 'ballot security' program conducted by the NCGOP and 1984 Helms for Senate Committee. He coordinated several 'ballot security' activities in 1984, including a postcard mailing to voters in predominantly black precincts that was designed to serve as a basis to challenge voters on election day."[122] Further explaining his vote, Scott said the Republican Party was "not doing a very good job of avoiding the obvious potholes on race in America."[123] In an editorial, theWall Street Journal criticized Scott, arguing that Democrats would see Farr's defeat as a "vindication of their most underhanded and inflammatory racial tactics."[124] In a letter to theWall Street Journal, Scott said the publication was trying to "deflect concerns" about Farr's nomination.[125][126]
In 2017, Scott reacted to theUnite the Right rally in Charlottesville by acknowledging that "Racism is real. It is alive."[127] Asked to comment on Trump's statement that there had been "good people" on both sides at the rally and that there was "blame on both sides" for the violence that ensued,[128] Scott said that while Trump had initially "rejected hatred, bigotry, and racism" in his "strong" comments on the ensuing Monday, his comments on Tuesday "started erasing the comments that were strong. What we want to see from our president is clarity and moral authority. And that moral authority is compromised when Tuesday happens. There's no question about that [...] I'm not going to defend the indefensible."[127]
After meeting with Trump, Scott said that Trump "was very receptive to listening" and had "obviously reflected on what he's said, on his intentions and the perceptions of those comments" which were "not exactly what he intended".[129]
Scott called upon Trump to delete his tweets that attacked demonstrators against themurder of George Floyd. Scott said, "Those are not constructive tweets, without any question. I'm thankful that we can have the conversation. ... We talked about the fact that there is a constructive way to have a dialogue with a nation in this similar fashion that we had a conversation afterCharlottesville, the President will listen, if you engage him with the facts of the issue".[130] Scott also advocated that Trump delete his retweet of supporters chanting "white power", which he soon did.[131][132]
In his capacity as chair of the Banking Committee, Scott introduced a provision to theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act that would have eliminatedFederal Reserve funding for theConsumer Financial Protection Bureau. After theSenate Parliamentarian ruled that this provision would violate the rules ofreconciliation, the provision was amended to merely reduce Federal Reserve funding for the CFPB.[133][134]
In response to aCongressional Budget Office (CBO) assessment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that estimated the law would add trillions to thenational debt and result in 11 million people losing their health insurance, Scott released a video onX criticizing the CBO. His speech made nine factual errors in one minute, including multiple claims that the CBO had made faulty predictions several years before the CBO had even been established. The video received aCommunity Note addressing his inaccurate statements.[135][136]
Scott has endorsedLindsey Graham in the 2026 United States Senate race, and is serving in a leadership capacity on Graham's campaign team.[137]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott | 1,333 | 53.3 | |
| Republican | William Bill Crosby | 647 | 25.9 | |
| Republican | Wheeler Tillman | 521 | 20.8 | |
| Total votes | 2,501 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott | 9,080 | 99.3 | |
| Write-in | 67 | 0.7 | ||
| Total votes | 9,147 | 100 | ||
| Turnout | 76.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott | 25,457 | 31.5 | |
| Republican | Paul Thurmond | 13,149 | 16.3 | |
| Republican | Carroll Campbell III | 11,665 | 14.4 | |
| Republican | Larry Kobrovsky | 8,521 | 10.5 | |
| Republican | Stovall Witte | 7,192 | 8.9 | |
| Republican | Clark B Parker | 6,769 | 8.4 | |
| Republican | Katherine Jenerette | 3,849 | 4.8 | |
| Republican | Mark Lutz | 3,237 | 4.0 | |
| Republican | Ken Glasson | 1,006 | 1.2 | |
| Total votes | 80,845 | 100 | ||
| Turnout | 24.1 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott | 46,885 | 68.4 | |
| Republican | Paul Thurmond | 21,706 | 31.7 | |
| Total votes | 68,591 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott | 152,755 | 65.4 | |
| Democratic | Ben Frasier | 67,008 | 28.7 | |
| Total votes | 219,763 | 100 | ||
| Turnout | 51.9 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott (incumbent) | 179,908 | 62.0 | |
| Democratic | Bobbie G. Rose | 103,557 | 35.7 | |
| Libertarian | Keith Blandford | 6,334 | 2.2 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 214 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 290,013 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott (incumbent) | 276,147 | 90.0 | |
| Republican | Randall Young | 30,741 | 10.0 | |
| Total votes | 306,888 | 100 | ||
| Turnout | 16.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott (incumbent) | 757,215 | 61.1 | |
| Democratic | Joyce Dickerson | 459,583 | 37.1 | |
| Independent | Jill Bossi | 21,652 | 1.8 | |
| Write-in | 532 | nil | ||
| Total votes | 1,238,982 | 100 | ||
| Turnout | 43.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott (incumbent) | 1,241,609 | 60.6 | |
| Democratic | Thomas Dixon | 757,022 | 36.9 | |
| Libertarian | Bill Bledsoe | 37,482 | 1.8 | |
| American | Michael Scarborough | 11,923 | 0.6 | |
| Write-in | 1,857 | nil | ||
| Total votes | 2,049,893 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Scott (incumbent) | 1,066,274 | 62.9 | |
| Democratic | Krystle Matthews | 627,616 | 37.0 | |
| Write-in | 1,812 | 0.1 | ||
| Total votes | 1,695,702 | 100 | ||
During the late 1990s, Scott publicly declared himself avirgin, and claimed to have taken a pledge ofabstinence until marriage. In 2012, when asked if he was still following his pledge, he replied, "Not as well as I did then."[149]
In May 2023, Scott shared details about being in a relationship with an unnamed girlfriend.[150] In November 2023, he publicly announced he was dating Mindy Noce, an interior designer fromCharleston. The couple appeared together at thethird 2024 Republican primary debate.[151] On January 21, 2024, Scott announced their engagement.[152] They married on August 3, 2024, inMount Pleasant, South Carolina.[153]
Before entering politics, Scott worked in the insurance and real estate industries, becoming the owner of Tim Scott Allstate and a partner in Pathway Real Estate Group, LLC. He is a member ofSeacoast Church, a large evangelical church in Charleston.[154][155]
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| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromSouth Carolina's 1st congressional district 2011–2013 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 3) from South Carolina 2013–present Served alongside:Lindsey Graham | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Aging Committee 2021–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Banking Committee 2023–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Banking Committee 2025–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromSouth Carolina (Class 3) 2014,2016,2022 | Most recent |
| Preceded by | Keynote Speaker of theRepublican National Convention 2020 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Response to the State of the Union address 2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theNational Republican Senatorial Committee 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | Order of precedence of the United States as United States Senator | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States senators by seniority 35th | Succeeded by |
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| Banking and Currency (1913–1970) | | |
|---|---|---|
| Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (1970–present) | ||
| Class 2 | | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
