SC’s Tim Scott pulls in $9.6M from donors, setting aside millions before 2022 race

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott raised $9.6 million in the last three months, an eyebrow-raising fundraising figure that positions South Carolina’s junior senator as one of the top-raising Senate candidates ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

The fundraising haul underscore’s Scott’s rise as a national figure in the Republican Party, years after former Gov. Nikki Haley appointed Scott to the seat in 2012 when former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint left to run the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Scott’s campaign said the massive haul was raised by more than 91,000 donors. He ended the second quarter with more than $14.5 million cash in the bank, his campaign said.

“South Carolina is ready to reelect Tim Scott and we are proud of the record-breaking support we have received so early in the cycle,” said Sam Oh, Tim Scott for Senate consultant, in a fundraising statement earlier this week.

Scott’s two Democratic challengers — state Rep. Krystle Matthews, D-Berkeley, and Angela Geter, chairwoman of the Spartanburg County Democratic Party — have yet to file their reports. Thursday is the deadline.

Scott is seen as the favorite to win reelection in 2022 — what will be his final race, Scott has said.

The 55-year-old North Charleston Republican launched his reelection campaign in June with a slew of video ready endorsements, including from Haley and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — both seen as possible 2024 presidential candidates.

Scott has remained quiet on his 2024 plans but is seen as a potential hopeful, telling reporters he’s focused on his 2022 race.

But should he make that jump, political observers note the resume he’s built over his political tenure.

Scott, who briefly represented South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, was appointed in 2012 by Haley, then won a 2014 special election for Senate, becoming the first African American candidate elected to the chamber from a Southern state since Reconstruction.

He is the chamber’s only Black Republican senator and has spoken often about his experience as a Black man growing up in North Charleston and dealing with police.

As senator, Scott has helped spearhead so-called Opportunity Zone legislation to address economically-challenged communities, and most recently, he’s helped lead police reform efforts in Washington with Democrats U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. Karen Bass.

Last year, Scott was one of many who addressed the Republican National Convention, and in April he gave the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union speech.

On Thursday, Haley, who heads the Stand for America PAC, gave yet another, more official endorsement for Scott’s reelection, followed up by a fundraising request.

“While D.C. Democrats play identity politics, Tim Scott is focused on solutions. From opportunity zones to police reform that supports law enforcement, he’s making sure everyone has access to the American dream,” Haley said in a statement. “I’m proud to endorse my friend Tim because he’s proven he will never let us down.”

This story will be updated.