Sen. Tim Scott’s trip to New Hampshire Friday will likely spark speculation not only about his upcoming race for reelection in the 2022 midterms but as a potential candidate for the 2024 election for the White House.
Scott, R-S.C., is in the early primary state for the New Hampshire Republican State Committee fundraising dinner being held in Manchester on Friday, and on Saturday will travel to Concord, where he is headlining a picnic and joint fundraiser for GOP Committees in Merrimack County and Concord, reports Fox News.
Scott’s team said that while in New Hampshire, he will focus on the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation plan being pushed by the Biden administration and Democrats, and to address the negotiations over raising the nation’s debt limit. He’s also expected to highlight the importance of party unity.
The senator’s profile has been climbing, including gaining national attention with his GOP response to President Joe Biden’s prime-time address to a joint session of Congress. He has also lead the party’s negotiations with congressional Democrats on police reform.
His fundraising skills are also gaining attention after he brought in $9.6 million during the second quarter of fundraising in the April-June second quarter drive for his 2022 reelection bid.
“Clearly anyone who’s going to Iowa or New Hampshire right now wants to be president. By going now, they’re keeping the option to run open,” longtime GOP strategist Alex Conant said.
“If you want to run for president, you need to be laying the groundwork right now,” Conant added. “That doesn’t guarantee that you will be running for president but since the field is potentially very open and very competitive, it’s important to get started early.”
Scott won his 2016 election by nearly 25 points in South Carolina, a reliably red state. Last November, then-President Donald Trump carried the Palmetto State by 12 points, with veteran GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham taking reelection by 10 points.
“Tim Scott is a force,” longtime New Hampshire-based Republican consultant Jim Merrill said about the South Carolina lawmaker, who is the only Black Republican in the Senate. “His strong fundraising numbers reflect how he has inspired activists and business leaders alike, good for both his reelection next year and for a potential presidential campaign in 2024.”
Scott traveled to Iowa this past spring, where caucuses traditionally kick off the presidential campaign season. Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann called the senator a “man of integrity.”
Scott, however, has consistently downplayed any talk about a possible 2024 White House run. The senator told Fox News earlier this year that his “only objective is to be the United States senator for the great state of South Carolina.” However, he added that the 2022 race will be his last Senate campaign.
