Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Tim Scott Exploring Presidential Run

Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) recently announced a presidential exploratory committee, which has been the clearest sign of his intentions to run for the Republican nomination in 2024. An exploratory committee allows him to raise money that could be transferred to an official campaign.

Scott currently serves as Ranking Member on the Senate Banking Committee.

“I will never back down in defense of the conservative values that make America exceptional, and that’s why I’m announcing my exploratory committee for president of the United States,” Scott said in a video released earlier this month, according to Politico.

As the only Black Republican currently in the U.S. Senate, Scott’s goal is to “bear witness that America can do for anyone what she has done for me.” If his candidacy becomes official, he would join Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, former President Donald Trump, and former Arkansas governor Ada Hutchinson and other Republicans in the primary field. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also expected to launch a presidential bid.

In the aforementioned video, Scott vowed to stand up to China and protect the borders of the U.S., give parents a choice in their childrens’ education, and protect religious freedoms.

Like the other potential GOP candidates, Scott has to balance promoting new leadership without attacking former President Donald Trump, who remains widely considered the face of the party.