U.S. Senator Tim Scott ran for the first black Republican president, documents filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday revealed.
The 57-year-old senator, who has been expected to enter the race since he formed a presidential preliminary committee in April, plans to formally launch his candidacy campaign in his hometown of North Charleston, South Carolina, on Monday.
In recent months, he has visited states that are crucial for momentum in the race for the Republican nomination, emphasizing his Christian faith and conservative values gained from growing up in a poor home without a parent.
He also focused on being the only black Republican senator.
He said on Twitter Thursday that "American families are hungry for hope. We must have faith. Faith in God, in each other, in America."
Scott joins a crowded arena of candidates seeking to outperform Donald Trump, who has so far been ahead, but Scott faces a difficult task as polls show his approval ratings are only 2%, 34 points behind the previous president.
Other candidates include Nikki Haley, Washington's ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and anchor Larry Elder.
But Trump's most prominent opponent is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch his campaign next week.