As chairman of the NRSC — the national organization tasked with electing Republicans to the Senate — Scott said he did not have a particular candidate in mind for the party to get behind. But he did not rule out becoming personally involved in the South Carolina race.
“There’s no question, in my opinion, that South Carolina will be red, so there’s not a role for the NRSC to play,” he said before drawing a distinction between his role as NRSC chairman and his place in the state’s Republican electorate.
“As Tim Scott, the voter of South Carolina, I might indeed wade into the water at some point,” he said.
Asked whether Darline Graham should be considered for the seat beyond her temporary appointment, Scott responded: “Why not her?”
“She’s been remarkably positive and powerful, and I’d love to have someone who has her spirit and mind and her toughness as well,” he said.
Darline Graham has not given any indication that she is interested in running for her brother’s seat, only that she planned to “honor him in this way” by finishing his current term.
Scott said he had heard from several candidates already preparing to enter the race, which included sitting members of Congress and former members weighing a bid.
Open U.S. Senate races are rare in the Palmetto State, where incumbents tend to serve for decades.
South Carolina has not had an open U.S. Senate race since 2004, when Jim DeMint won the seat vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings after more than 38 years in office.
Two years before that, in 2002 Lindsey Graham succeeded Sen. Strom Thurmond, who retired after nearly five decades in the chamber.
The opportunity is attracting attention from ambitious politicos, Scott said, adding that he’s received calls from “lots of folks who are very interested in running.”
He also said he was still in shock, but that he would like to see voters get as much time as possible to consider their choices “before we put our thumbs on the scale.”
