“W e live in the land where it is absolutely possi- ble for a kid raised in poverty in a single-par- ent household in a small apartment to one day serve in the people’s house and maybe even the White House,” said Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Caro- lina when he announced his candidacy for president on May 22, 2023. It’s this inspiring personal story that has defined Scott’s campaign. Even in the midst of heightened tensions over race in recent years, Scott has maintained that “America is not a racist country.” Scott believes he can unite this coun- try and restore Americans’ optimism in the future. Yet as much as Americans like Tim Scott, so far, they are not convinced that he’s the right choice right now. Polling at just under 3 percent nationally, and 7 percent in Iowa at the time of this writing, Scott gained little momentum after the first two presidential debates. Instead, in the first debate, he only spoke for a total of 8 minutes and 15 seconds four minutes less than the top talker, former vice president Mike Pence. While he has argued that he stayed above the fray in the “food fight,” voters and donors alike expected Scott to assert himself with more vigor. In the second debate, he did take a jab at Nikki Haley for support- ing the gas tax hike in South Carolina and for hanging up $50,000 curtains in the ambassador’s residence but neither swipe seemed to be a slam dunk. During his decade of service in the Senate, Scott helped create Opportunity Zones through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Did you know? Scott supports cutting government spending to pre-pandemic levels. See our comparison chart on page 42 for more!
Act, was a key player in passing the First Step Act and a federal law banning lynching, and has championed school choice. A man of deep faith, he supports federal legisla- tion to ban abortion after 15 weeks, but he has not yet supported federal legislation banning biological men from women’s sports. When CBN News asked why he chose to enter the race, Senator Scott answered with characteristic sincerity: “I heard the Lord speak to my heart and say, ‘This is not about you, don’t confuse it. You’re my vessel for this journey but it’s not about you, it’s about the American people who are starved for hope looking for opportunities, and want to protect this nation that they love.’” Senator tim scott
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