Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has hauled in over $37M in fundraising for his reelection
Tim Scott's massive 2022 election campaign war chest fuels more 2024 buzz
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
EXCLUSIVE: If you need more proof that Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has quickly become one of the most prolific fundraisers among Senate Republicans, look no further than his campaign cash haul for the past three months.
Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate and a rising star in the GOP, brought in nearly $7 million during the October-December fourth quarter of fundraising, according to figures shared first with Fox News on Tuesday.
SAYING IT'S TIME TO ‘GO BACK TO THE FUTURE,’ TIM SCOTT LAUNCHES 2022 SENATE REELECTION BID
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The senator’s fourth quarter haul follows the $8.3 million he raked in during the July-September third quarter and the $9.6 million he brought in during the April-June second quarter of fundraising. Scott's political team says that the senator has raised a total of $37.3 million so far in the 2022 election cycle.
They also report that Scott’s fourth-quarter fundraising was fueled by contributions from 77,500 unique donors, and that the senator ended 2021 with over $21.5 million cash on hand.
"Senator Tim Scott has built an unmatched grassroots network of supporters that will power him to another term in the Senate," Scott campaign consultant Sam Oh told Fox News.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
TIM SCOTT'S MISSION: HELP REPUBLICANS DIVERSIFY THE GOP
And Oh argued that as President Biden’s "disastrous agenda continues to hurt our economy, our pocketbooks, and our way of life, the senator’s message is resonating with voters who want a Republican Senate majority that will hold this administration accountable."
As of now, Scott is unlikely to face a bruising re-election this year in the reliably red Palmetto State, where he won his 2016 election to a full term by nearly 25 points. In 2020, then President Donald Trump carried the state by 12 points, and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham won re-election by 10 points despite record-breaking fundraising from Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison, who’s now the chair of the Democratic National Committee.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Scott has become a high-profile Republican during his tenure in the Senate. He grabbed national attention early last year when he gave a well-received GOP response to President Biden's prime time address to a joint session of Congress. And he was the lead Republican in the eventually unsuccessful negotiations last year with congressional Democrats on a major police reform bill.
TIM SCOTT'S NEW HAMPSHIRE TRIP WAS ALL ABOUT 2022, BUT IT SPARKED MORE 2024 SPECULATION
Pundits see him as a possible 2024 GOP presidential nomination contender. His trips last year to Iowa and New Hampshire, which hold the first two contests in the presidential nominating calendar, sparked speculation about potential national ambitions, and his massive fundraising haul is as well.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"Tim Scott is a force," longtime New Hampshire-based Republican consultant Jim Merrill said.
"His strong numbers reflect how he has inspired activists and business leaders alike, good for both his reelection and for a potential presidential campaign in 2024," Merrill, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, added.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Asked by Fox News last year about a possible 2024 White House run, Scott downplayed such talk, declaring that his "only objective is to be the United States senator for the great state of South Carolina."
But Scott has also said that the 2022 race will be his last Senate campaign.