Republican Tim Scott suspends presidential campaign
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) made the announcement on “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy” on Fox News, citing the feedback from voters as the reason for the suspension.
Initially, Scott’s campaign canceled his entire Iowa swing due to flu, but they remained positive about securing the GOP nomination. This past week his campaign had confirmed his attendance at Bob Vander Plaats’ Family Leader Thanksgiving Forum.
Scott had started his campaign on May 22 at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina with an optimistic message. Raised in poverty in North Charleston, South Carolina, the only Black Republican in the Senate, he often talked about his climb from poverty to the Senate.
During his campaign, Scott attracted big donors but struggled to stand out in the crowded field of candidates. Although he sought to improve his debate performance and challenge other candidates, his message remained unheard. His polling numbers fell and the campaign ultimately decided to redirect resources to Iowa.
Despite doubling their staff and renting a new office in Iowa, the momentum never materialized. The junior senator struggled to gain traction and eventually made the decision to suspend his campaign.
Ironically, just minutes before the announcement, his campaign sent out a fundraising email with the subject line “One last chance”. Scott did not indicate who he would endorse and ruled out a run for another term in the Senate. He also told Gowdy he has no plans to run for vice president, but didn’t rule out a future run for president.