The Facts
On Friday, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott — the US Senate's only Black Republican — officially entered the 2024 Presidential race, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission.
The filing comes as Scott launched a $6M ad campaign and is expected to formally announce his candidacy in Charleston on Monday before heading to multiple early-voting states, including Iowa and New Hampshire.
The Spin
Narrative A
While Tim Scott has an uphill battle to secure the GOP nomination in 2024, he is a rarity in a country where politics are sharply divided along racial lines. Yet, as the 57-year-old Senator aligns with mainstream GOP positions on many issues — such as reducing government spending and restricting abortion — and has been a go-to Republican voice on crucial issues, he may become the first Black person to win the Republican presidential nomination.
Narrative B
Tim Scott's campaign is doomed from the start as Donald Trump will almost certainly win the Republican nomination for president for a third time. Moreover, with only a few Black supporters in a country where some 92% of Black voters backed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, Scott's chances may be stronger on paper as his national name recognition remains low. Irrespective of his political views, Scott is an odd man out.
