History of Tim Scott in Timeline
Tim Scott is an American politician and businessman currently serving as a U.S. Senator for South Carolina since 2013. As a Republican, he holds several distinctions, including being the first African-American senator from the Southern United States to be directly elected, the longest-serving African-American senator, the first African-American to serve in both the House and Senate, and the first African-American senator to chair a full committee. His political career is marked by these historical milestones.
September 19, 1965: Tim Scott's birth
On September 19, 1965, Timothy Eugene Scott was born. He later became a businessman and politician, serving as a U.S. Senator from South Carolina.
1983: Attended Presbyterian College
In 1983, Tim Scott attended Presbyterian College on a partial football scholarship. It was also around this time he was introduced to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
1984: Involvement of Thomas Farr in Jesse Helms' Senate Campaign
In 1984, Thomas Farr was involved in the Senate campaign of Jesse Helms, which sought to suppress black voters.
1984: Continued Education at Presbyterian College
In 1984, Tim Scott continued to attend Presbyterian College on a partial football scholarship.
1988: Graduated from Charleston Southern University
In 1988, Tim Scott graduated from Charleston Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science.
1989: Voters approved at-large seats
In 1989, the majority of voters in Charleston County approved electing council members by at-large seats in a popular referendum.
1990: Involvement of Thomas Farr in Jesse Helms' Senate Campaign
In 1990, Thomas Farr was involved in the Senate campaign of Jesse Helms, which sought to suppress black voters.
1991: Department of Justice Memo on Farr's Role in 'Ballot Security' Program
In 1991, a memo from the Department of Justice under the George H. W. Bush administration stated that Farr was the primary coordinator of the 1984 'ballot security' program.
February 1995: Won Charleston County Council seat
In February 1995, Tim Scott won a special election for the Charleston County Council at-large seat, becoming the first black Republican elected to any office in South Carolina since the late 19th century.
1995: Began service on the Charleston County Council
In 1995, Tim Scott began his service on the Charleston County Council.
1995: Served on Charleston County Council
In 1995, Tim Scott began his service on the Charleston County Council.
1996: Lost State Senate challenge
In 1996, Tim Scott challenged Democratic State Senator Robert Ford in South Carolina's 42nd Senate district but lost with 35% of the vote.
1997: Supported posting the Ten Commandments
In 1997, Tim Scott supported posting the Ten Commandments outside the council chambers, leading to a federal lawsuit.
November 2000: DOJ attempted to negotiate with county officials
In November 2000, the U.S. Department of Justice attempted to negotiate with Charleston County officials on the issue of racial discrimination in council seats.
2000: Re-elected to Charleston County Council
In 2000, Tim Scott was re-elected to the Charleston County Council.
January 2001: U.S. Department of Justice sued Charleston County
In January 2001, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Charleston County, South Carolina for racial discrimination under the Voting Rights Act.
2003: J.C. Watts Retirement
In 2003, J.C. Watts retired, before Tim Scott's election to Congress in 2010.
2004: Re-elected to Charleston County Council
In 2004, Tim Scott was re-elected to the Charleston County Council with 61% of the vote, defeating Elliot Summey.
2007: Became Chairman of Charleston County Council
In 2007, Tim Scott became the chairman of the Charleston County Council.
2008: Elected to South Carolina House of Representatives
In 2008, Tim Scott was elected to District 117 of the South Carolina House of Representatives, becoming the first Republican African-American State Representative in South Carolina in over 100 years.
2009: Joined South Carolina General Assembly
In 2009, Tim Scott became a member of the South Carolina General Assembly.
2009: End of service on the Charleston County Council
In 2009, Tim Scott finished his service on the Charleston County Council.
2009: Received B Grade from South Carolina Club for Growth
In the South Carolina Club for Growth's 2009-2010 scorecard, Tim Scott earned a B and a score of 80 out of 100.
2010: Roland Burris retired
In 2010, Roland Burris retired after succeeding Barack Obama, before Tim Scott was appointed senator.
2010: Received B Grade from South Carolina Club for Growth
In the South Carolina Club for Growth's 2009-2010 scorecard, Tim Scott earned a B and a score of 80 out of 100.
March 2011: Co-sponsored Welfare Reform Bill
In March 2011, Tim Scott co-sponsored a welfare reform bill, sparking controversy over its potential impact on food stamp recipients during labor strikes.
July 2011: Introduced legislation regarding the NLRB
In July 2011, Tim Scott introduced legislation to limit the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) authority to order employer relocations or shutdowns.
2011: Advocated for Charleston harbor dredging project
In 2011, Tim Scott advocated for federal funds for a Charleston harbor dredging project. He also supported the inclusion of a balanced budget amendment in the debt ceiling bill but ultimately voted against the bill.
2011: Represented South Carolina in U.S. House of Representatives
In 2011, Tim Scott began representing South Carolina's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
2011: Opposed military intervention in Libya
In 2011, Tim Scott opposed the military intervention in Libya.
December 17, 2012: Appointed to U.S. Senate by Nikki Haley
On December 17, 2012, Tim Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to replace Jim DeMint.
2012: Political Donations from Oil, Gas and Coal Interests
In 2012, Tim Scott's campaign received over $540,000 in political donations from oil, gas and coal interests.
2012: Comments on Virginity Pledge
In 2012, when asked if he was still following his pledge, Tim Scott replied, "Not as well as I did then."
January 2, 2013: Scott became the only African American senator
From January 2, 2013, until February 1, 2013, Tim Scott was the only African American senator in the U.S. Senate.
February 1, 2013: End of term as only African American senator
On February 1, 2013, Tim Scott's term as the only African American senator in the U.S. Senate ended.
July 16, 2013: Scott became the only African American senator again
From July 16, 2013, until October 31, 2013, Tim Scott was again the only African American senator in the U.S. Senate.
October 31, 2013: End of term as only African American senator again
On October 31, 2013, Tim Scott's term as the only African American senator in the U.S. Senate ended again.
2013: Appointed to the Senate
In 2013, Nikki Haley, then Governor, appointed Tim Scott to the Senate following Jim DeMint's resignation.
January 2014: Signed amicus brief supporting challenge to Affordable Care Act ruling
In January 2014, Tim Scott signed an amicus brief in support of Senator Ron Johnson's legal challenge to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's Affordable Care Act ruling.
2014: Won special election for Senate seat
In 2014, Tim Scott won the special election for the Senate seat to which he had been appointed.
2014: Political Donations from Oil, Gas and Coal Interests
In 2014, Tim Scott's campaign received over $540,000 in political donations from oil, gas and coal interests.
2016: Elected to a full Senate term
In 2016, Tim Scott was elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate.
2016: Political Donations from Oil, Gas and Coal Interests
In 2016, Tim Scott's campaign received over $540,000 in political donations from oil, gas and coal interests.
November 2017: Cosponsorship of Bill to Prevent Foreign Purchases of US Tech Companies
In November 2017, Tim Scott cosponsored a bill aimed at broadening the federal government's ability to prevent foreign purchases of U.S. firms. This was achieved by strengthening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to allow it to review and potentially decline smaller investments, considering national security factors like exposure of Americans' information or facilitation of fraud.
2017: Reaction to Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville
In 2017, Tim Scott acknowledged that "Racism is real. It is alive." in response to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and commented on Trump's statement about "good people" on both sides, stating that Trump's moral authority was compromised.
2017: Signing Letter Urging Withdrawal from Paris Agreement
In 2017, Tim Scott was among 22 senators who signed a letter addressed to President Donald Trump, urging him to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement.
January 2018: Signing Letter to Preserve NAFTA
In January 2018, Tim Scott was one of 36 Republican senators who signed a letter to President Trump, requesting the preservation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in a modernized form.
July 2018: Introduced bipartisan bill to make lynching a federal hate crime
In July 2018, Tim Scott, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris introduced a bipartisan bill to make lynching a federal hate crime.
November 2018: Opposition to Thomas A. Farr's Nomination
In November 2018, Tim Scott opposed the nomination of Thomas A. Farr for a federal judgeship, citing Farr's involvement in campaigns that sought to suppress black voters.
January 2019: Cosponsored Health Insurance Tax Relief Act
In January 2019, Tim Scott was one of six senators to cosponsor the Health Insurance Tax Relief Act, delaying the Health Insurance Tax for two years.
February 2019: Voted against legislation preventing government shutdown
In February 2019, Tim Scott was one of 16 senators to vote against legislation preventing a partial government shutdown and containing funding for barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.
August 2019: Announced plan for final reelection run
In August 2019, Tim Scott announced his intention to run for reelection, stating that it would be his last one if he ran.
April 29, 2021: Delivered Republican response to Biden's address
In April 2021, Tim Scott delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden's Joint Address to Congress.
May 28, 2021: Voted against creating commission to investigate Capitol attack
On May 28, 2021, Tim Scott voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.
2022: Co-sponsored PROTECT Kids Act
In 2022, Tim Scott co-sponsored the PROTECT Kids Act, a bill that would cut federal funding to schools unless they informed parents of changes in children's "pronouns, gender markers, or sex-based accommodations."
2022: Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act
In 2022, Tim Scott voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, which provided federal statutory recognition of same-sex marriage.
2022: Re-elected to Senate
In 2022, Tim Scott was re-elected to the U.S. Senate.
February 2023: Preparing for presidential run
In February 2023, reports indicated that Tim Scott was preparing for a presidential run. He announced a "listening tour" and hosted events throughout Iowa.
April 12, 2023: Formed Exploratory Committee
On April 12, 2023, Tim Scott formed an exploratory committee to potentially run for president.
May 2023: Declared Candidacy for President
In May 2023, Tim Scott announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican Party presidential nomination.
May 2023: Sharing Details About Relationship
In May 2023, Tim Scott shared details about being in a relationship with an unnamed girlfriend.
August 23, 2023: Remarks on gender and sports
On August 23, 2023, Tim Scott stated "If God made you a man, you play sports—against men," during a debate between Republican presidential candidates.
November 12, 2023: Suspended presidential campaign
On November 12, 2023, Tim Scott announced the suspension of his presidential campaign on Fox News's Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy.
November 2023: Public Announcement of Dating Mindy Noce
In November 2023, Tim Scott publicly announced he was dating Mindy Noce, an interior designer from Charleston.
November 2023: Comments on Gaza war and Iran
In November 2023, Tim Scott rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza war and suggested there could be no U.S.-Iranian diplomatic settlement. He also suggested cutting off "the head of the snake" which he identified as Iran.
2023: Voted against Fiscal Responsibility Act
In 2023, Tim Scott was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
2023: Abortion stance
In a 2023 interview, Tim Scott said he would sign a 20-week federal abortion ban into law if elected president.
January 21, 2024: Engagement Announcement
On January 21, 2024, Tim Scott announced his engagement to Mindy Noce.
August 3, 2024: Marriage to Mindy Noce
On August 3, 2024, Tim Scott married Mindy Noce in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
2024: Elected Chair of National Republican Senatorial Committee
After the 2024 elections, Tim Scott was elected chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
2024: Potential presidential run
In February 2023, reports indicated that Tim Scott was preparing for a potential presidential run, to take place in 2024. Other candidates also hosted events in Iowa at the same time as Scott.
February 2026: Criticism of Trump's Racist Video
In February 2026, after Trump posted a racist video on Truth Social depicting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as monkeys, Tim Scott called on Trump to delete the post, labeling it "the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House".
2026: Endorsement of Lindsey Graham
In 2026, Tim Scott endorsed Lindsey Graham in the 2026 United States Senate race and is serving in a leadership capacity on Graham's campaign team.
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