Tim Scott Officially Joins the 2024 Circus

The South Carolina senator enters the race flush with cash, but like other declared candidates is struggling to make a dent against Trump

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Friday declaring his candidacy for the 2024 Republican nomination for president. Scott is the sixth candidate to enter the field, which is only going to grow.

“American families are starving for hope. We need to have faith. Faith in God, faith in each other, and faith in America,” Scott tweeted on Thursday, alongside a photo of himself featuring the slogan “Tim Scott: Faith In America.”

Scott teased an official campaign launch next Monday, and according to The New York Times will enter the race with more than $22 million cash on hand. The campaign will launch alongside a $5.5 million ad campaign in key battleground states. 

As of now, Donald Trump remains the clear frontrunner among Republican voters. Other declared candidates — including former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and radio host Larry Elder — have struggled to make a dent in the former president’s polling. Scott himself continues to poll around 2 percent with prospective voters. 

Scott isn’t the only prominent Republican expected to launch his campaign next week. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis — who’s already been selected by Trump as his nemesis for the 2024 primary cycle — will reportedly make an official announcement on May 24. DeSantis pitched his campaign to donors on Thursday, arguing that it’s a three-man race between him, Trump, and President Biden, and that he’s the only Republican who has any chance of winning the White House.

As Republicans prepare for a contentious 2024 battle, we can only hope the RNC held onto all the debate podiums from 2016. They might need them.