Tim Scott Elected: First Black Republican Congressman From Deep South Since Reconstruction

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — South Carolina voters on Tuesday elected the first black Republican to Congress from the Deep South since Reconstruction.

State Rep. Tim Scott easily defeated perennial Democratic candidate Ben Frasier and five third-party candidates to win the 1st District seat left vacant by the retirement of Republican U.S. Rep. Henry Brown.

Scott will be the nation's first black GOP congressman since Oklahoma's J.C. Watts retired in 2003.

The district, once represented by Gov. Mark Sanford, reaches from the sea islands south of Charleston, through the city where the Civil War began and north along the coast to the Myrtle Beach area.

The 45-year-old Scott swamped his opponents in fundraising, spending almost $725,000 during the election cycle to less than $20,000 for his November opponents. The conservative businessman, who owns an insurance agency, picked up the endorsements of tea party groups and former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

In 2008, Scott was elected to the Legislature, becoming the first black Republican lawmaker in the state in more than a century. He said his candidacy shows how the state has evolved over the years.

He served 13 years on Charleston County Council and was honorary chairman of one of political icon Strom Thurmond's Senate re-election bids. Raised in poverty in North Charleston, Scott's single mother, Frances, worked 16 hours a day raising Scott and his brother.

After winning a nine-way Republican primary, Scott became the heavy favorite to win the seat in a district that has not elected a Democrat in 30 years.

In the primary, Scott defeated Carroll Campbell III, the son of the late popular South Carolina governor and then, in the runoff, defeated Thurmond's son, Paul.

Comments

[BruceCarson]

05:28 PM on 11/06/2010

This guy is using his race to get ahead in politics. He is a traitor to moving black people forward. If he were interested in helping black people he'd stand with the Democrats. Instead he's betraying race for personal interest.

[ABraut]

11:37 AM on 11/04/2010

Thank you for consistently showing that diversity is only skin deep, to liberals. They especially seem to hate minorities who succeed or embrace conservatism.

[BeachBro]

02:16 AM on 11/05/2010

Ok, u seem a bit confused...we don't hate minorities who succeed. We hate minorities who 'succeed' in embracing a party that despises them.

That is -if you didn't get it the 1st time -

Republicans like minorities who are awashed in self-loathing and no pride in themselves o their own race. They run from themselves (and their skin color the speed of light)..right into arms of people like you who love minorites that 'know their place'

Liberals like all minorities are right (and smart) to distrust a man or woman who shucks his own kind and people..because if he'll do that..what do yo think he'll do you?

You could call Scott 'Boy' all day long..and he'd love it and you'd love it (if not you..many in your ranks would enjoy it),

On our side, that ignorance simply does not fly. Those days are long gone.

Clear enough?

[BeachBro]

03:35 AM on 11/05/2010

Now when you people start acceptinf 'real black people'..y'know the kind that embrace their culture and people - instead of you and your 'type of thinking'...

..blacks like Spike Lee, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Tavis Smiley, Jesse Jackson..yep blacks that you don't agree with..but will have them nonetheless. THEN your party has truly become diverse. And YOU know and I know....THAT will never happen.

Why won't that happen, you ask? You know why... because you guys don't like it when it's pointed out that your archaic attitudes are dying out, America as you knew it 'all white, all the time and all the power' is fading... fast and you can't handle it. And you're doing all you can to hang on to 'the good ol' days'. And a black or brown man who's loves the good ol' days as much as you do..is a black/brown man who is of use for a foward thinking people (ummm..that'd be us).

That is why you and many thinking like you, love blacks like Tim Scott, Clarence Thomas, Larry Elder, etc...only problem is....you guys just don't have the stomach to admit it.

Beach

[ABraut]

03:47 PM on 11/05/2010

It is quite clear that you believe that anyone slightly conservative is a racist, and any minorities that are slightly conservative are traitors. You cannot stand for anyone of color to embrace self responsibility and become successful. It disproves the notion that minorities cannot help themselves.

Conservatives don't hate minorities. They have a much higher opinion of them than liberals. We believe they are capable people.

[MoeB]

01:43 PM on 11/05/2010

Wow...you REALLY think it's about blacks hating other blacks who "succeed"??? Because to make such an illogical leap, you'd have to first assume that anyone who's black and liberal is NOT successful...you understand that, right? And I'm willing to bet ANYTHING that the list of successful blacks who are liberal is much longer than the list of blacks who are conservative by today's meaning of the two.

[ABraut]

05:26 PM on 11/05/2010

Good point. I hadn't considered that.

[Clairyanne]

12:16 PM on 11/03/2010

Have to agree with other posters that - some of the people who consider themselves "liberal" or "progressive" can make the most thoughtless, hateful and racist statements! They think the the label they have ascribed to themselves somehow absolves them from guilt, and so never hesitate to use the ugliest, most insulting language! So much for "Restoring Sanity"!

Baffled by a black conservative? Go get some info from the man's mouth instead of depending on the gossip you learn from sources that really only exist to entertain you! Scott chose his own goals and succeeded. Why do you need to put your own ignorance on display by disparaging him with racist smears like "tom", "mouth-breather", "traitor", "minstrel man" "pretending to be black", etc.? YOU are part of the problem!

[greeneyes51654m]

07:01 PM on 11/03/2010

You said it like it really is. Good read by you, FANNED!!!

[MrUnlimited]

07:05 PM on 11/03/2010

Well said. In fact, as much as my mother despised some of the things that George W. Bush did while he was in office, she was particularly offended by the so-called "openminded, tolerant" liberals who called Condoleezza names like "Aunt Jemima" after Bush won re-election and appointed Condi as Secretary of State. Immediately resorting to hateful or racist statements in response to a black conservative is evidence of poor character. I bet almost none of the people in this thread know where Rep. Scott stands on any issues; I bet almost none have visited his website or done much to inform themselves before insulting him.

For the record, I'm not a fan of either political party, but like you I prefer that people frame their criticisms in something substantive rather than resorting to a lot of the garbage I've been reading.

[lovable]

12:10 PM on 11/03/2010

U MEAN OUT OF ALL THOISE BLACK REPBS WHO WON IN THE PRIMARY I THINK 32 WON ONLY ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WON IN THE GENERAL ELECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TO POLITICO JONATHAN MARTINN WHAT HAPPENED TO REPUB NEW FOUND DIVERSITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MoeB]

03:16 PM on 11/03/2010

Well, I guess more than zero is diversity in a sense...

[ABraut]

11:32 AM on 11/04/2010

Two won. You're right, Dems vote against Black Republicans.

[BruceCarson]

10:11 PM on 11/04/2010

That's right because we don't want these so called "black" Republicans giving any legitimacy to the Republican party as a whole. I'll donate to his Republican opponent in 2012 if that means sending a clear signal that Republicans DO NOT represent black people.

[BruceCarson]

01:15 AM on 11/05/2010

And by the way I am a progressive Democrat, it just disgusts me that opportunists like this guy use their race to get ahead in politics while most black people are working hard with the Democrats to actually HELP their own kind.

[southwestque]

11:29 AM on 11/03/2010

This reminds me of when J.C. Watts, Jr. became a Republican Congressman from Oklahoma. When asked about the political success that his son had achieved, the elder J.C. Watts,Sr. replied " a black man supporting Republicans is like a chicken supporting Colonel Sanders". I have to agree. This guy is just a 21st century Minstrel Man/Tom

[Ifeomamn]

11:20 AM on 11/03/2010

Last night, TBGOPers elected 2 Blacks, in White districts, one from SC and the other from FL. They elected an Indian American female in SC, A Latina Governor in NM, a Latino Gov in NV and a Latino senator in FL. Dems had Kendrick Meek a Black man running for sen in FL but they preferred Crist, a GOPer turncoat, while they were, Dems, were working behind the scene to get Meek to drop out?

GOPers would always vote party first but Dems time and time again, claim diversity but would not vote Dems first. Which party pays lip service to diversity again?

Dems cure thyself from this insidious canard, many of Us are tired of it.

[Coloradem]

11:50 AM on 11/03/2010

I didn't think that Republicans engaged in "quotas" and that skin color didn't matter to y'all....so why are you counting?

[Daly]

12:10 PM on 11/03/2010

LOL

Excellent post... recall how welcoming Jake Knotts has been to people of color... and let us not forget the teahadist signs of endearment

[MrUnlimited]

07:07 PM on 11/03/2010

My guess: because Democrats have won the war of public opinion in terms of framing the GOP as the old white man's party (which is correct for the most part). I don't blame Repubs for counting.

[onecorgilover]

11:57 AM on 11/03/2010

"GOPers would always vote party first"

That says it all, my friend. Thank you for telling the truth about this. It's all about party...not right or wrong...just the philosophy of greed where they worship at the altar of the almighty dollar. I appreciate your candor!

[greeneyes51654m]

07:08 PM on 11/03/2010

Agreed.

[blueballs]

11:20 AM on 11/03/2010

In Rand Paul's America, he'd better watch what water fountain he drinks from and better call ahead to make sure the hotel he stays in allows blacks. Homie might find himself in jail, and I'm thinking his fellow Wingers wouldn't exactly rush to post his bail.

I've never understood Republican minorities. What part of 'they hate your black ass' do they NOT understand??

[kmichal2000]

11:13 AM on 11/03/2010

Raciss democrats are crying right now.

[grf67]

10:38 AM on 11/03/2010

He should be careful. JC Watts was once the first also and the repubs flushed him.

[greeneyes51654m]

07:12 PM on 11/03/2010

That's a lie. Got any more you want to false rhetoric you want to put out there?

[calpinky]

10:25 AM on 11/03/2010

WTF

[VashS5]

09:57 AM on 11/03/2010

One question. Why are black people Republican? I hate to say it but racists ideals fall inline with Republicans. So why would a black man want to be a Republican? It's a paradox, lol.

[Yonnas]

10:31 AM on 11/03/2010

This is a free world my friend, the ideology that he believes might be different than you and me. You can not say why, he has every right to be whatever he wants to be.

[bkrider9]

11:04 AM on 11/03/2010

You didn't answer Vash's question.

[MoeB]

10:40 AM on 11/03/2010

Well, he owns an insurance agency, so that'd be my guess as to why he's republican...money...he feels, IMO (since I don't know the guy), that he'll have more of it by being republican.

[Clairyanne]

01:17 PM on 11/03/2010

Or maybe:
He owns an insurance agency and employs people. His personal experience gives him insight into what does and doesn't facilitate his success as a business owner, and what conditions would enable him to hire more people. He can use knowledge gained through PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, to influence laws/regulations that would encourage more people to open small businesses and employ more people. (Supposedly, the majority of Americans are employed by small businesses. ) The more successful a business owner is, the more employees they can hire, and yes, he is also rewarded with more money. His incentive to earn this money is what inspires him to work hard for success and employ more people. Any business; 1) run by the government or 2) saved by the government ("too big to fail"), lacks this incentive because they know that they can be completely inefficient, and still give themselves raises and continue writing out paychecks forever, because taxpayers are forced to cover them! At the same time taxpayers are left with less money that would otherwise have stimulated the economy through the purchase of goods and services.

His ideas might be the ones that put people back to work without costing citizens more in taxes.

[Fight4Freedom2008]

09:57 AM on 11/03/2010

He must have good thumper creds

[ruburnt]

09:54 AM on 11/03/2010

Wow, I though all Republicans of the south were racist....proven wrong AGAIN!!

[wwoody]

11:42 AM on 11/03/2010

Who said that you're wrong, one shin color is not a guideline.

[farmilyman]

09:49 AM on 11/03/2010

He swamped his opponants in fundraising............but how much of it was local??

[philss]

09:37 AM on 11/03/2010

just another re thugicant pretending to be black

[BlindChance]

10:00 AM on 11/03/2010

And he looks like a mouth-breather too.

[BruceCarson]

02:27 AM on 11/05/2010

lol well said, fanned!

[jgallery]

10:11 AM on 11/03/2010

Great example of liberal acceptance of dversity!
Can't stand it when a Black chooses to wander of the liberal plantation.

[dovelove]

11:21 AM on 11/03/2010

Somebody called that "liberal plantation" comment. Good job!

[onecorgilover]

11:48 AM on 11/03/2010

Oops...looks like your white robe is showing......lol