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OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
5:04 PM – Friday, January 3, 2025
The 119th Congress convened on Friday, making Senator Tim Scott the longest-serving Black senator in U.S. history.
Following the resignation of previous GOP Senator Jim DeMint, Scott (R-S.C.) was appointed to the Senate in 2012 by then-GOP Governor Nikki Haley.
“I know America is a land of opportunity, not a land of oppression. I know it because I lived it,” Scott has said previously, explaining how he grew up in a poor household being raised by his mother, whom he has often praised.
Prior to Scott, the longest-serving Black senator was Republican Senator Edward Brooke of Massachusetts, who served from 1967 to 1979.
59-year-old Scott will take the lead on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee this session, making history as the first Black chair of a Senate standing committee.
“My goal is simple: make America work for Americans,” Scott said in a statement. “As we get to work cleaning up the mess from the previous administration, I look forward to working with President Trump on his priorities, including paving a path for all Americans to have the necessary tools and resources to achieve their version of the American Dream. We will unlock opportunity, strengthen our nation, and make America the shining city on the Hill again.”
When Scott made the decision to run for the Charleston County Council in 1994, he officially entered the world of politics. He became the first Black American elected to any office in South Carolina since 1902 when he was elected in 1995.
In 2010, Scott made history again by becoming the first Black Republican from The Palmetto State to hold a House seat since 1897.
Additionally, after briefly launching a 2024 presidential campaign, Scott soon halted it and began campaigning for President-elect Donald Trump, which made him more of a household name throughout the country.
Since then, he has been a staunch advocate of the incoming administration, expressing optimism that Trump will tackle the plethora of problems burdening the U.S.
New Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) previously shared his perspective on Scott when he was still running for the presidency.
“He is a candidate who has a strong record of legislative accomplishments. I worked side-by-side with him through one of the most economically consequential pieces of legislation of the last several decades,” Thune stated. “He was a relentless fighter for South Carolina and for the people of this country.”
This year, Scott also married interior designer Mindy Noce in a ceremony over the weekend in South Carolina.
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