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Republican U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina wants to take on ex-U.S. President Donald Trump in the party's internal primaries
Photo: Charlie Neibergall / AP
The only African-American Republican in the U.S. Senate has announced his candidacy for the 2024 U.S. presidential election: Tim Scott. The 57-year-old submitted the documents necessary for a candidacy to the U.S. Electoral Commission on Friday. Scott is expected to officially launch his campaign on Monday during an appearance in his hometown of North Charleston, South Carolina.
The Republican and evangelical Christian had made no secret of his intentions to apply in recent months. In April, for example, he launched a committee to explore his electoral chances and toured states that will play an important role in next year's Republican primaries.
Scott argues that the U.S. is "the land of opportunity, not the land of oppression." During a citizens' question and answer session in the state of New Hampshire under the motto "Faith in America", Scott said he was sure he could beat US President Joe Biden. He was "incompetent" and had been "co-opted by the radical left in his party."
Trump is currently the clear front-runner among the Republicans
However, Scott is given little chance in the Republican primaries. Polls on the Republican field of candidates see him at only around two percent. The clear favorite is ex-President Donald Trump with an average of around 54 percent in the polls.
Trump's fiercest intra-party rival is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to make his candidacy official shortly. The 44-year-old is polling at around 20 percent, more than 30 points behind Trump. However, nine months before the start of the primaries, such polls are only of limited significance.
Other candidates for the Republican presidential nomination so far include former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikky Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
jso/AFP/Reuters