South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint (R) is leaving Congress to take over as president of the Heritage Foundation, the Wall Street Journal reports.

DeMint, who was reelected to a second term in 2010, will replace Ed Feulner, who had been planning to step down from the top spot at Heritage. Feulner will be named chancellor of Heritage and will continue working part-time as chairman of the foundation's Asian Studies Center.

DeMint had stated he was not planning to seek re-election when his current term was scheduled to end in 2016.

DeMint released the following statement on his departure:

"It's been an honor to serve the people of South Carolina in United States Senate for the past eight years, but now it's time for me to pass the torch to someone else and take on a new role in the fight for America's future.

"I'm leaving the Senate now, but I'm not leaving the fight. I've decided to join The Heritage Foundation at a time when the conservative movement needs strong leadership in the battle of ideas. No organization is better equipped to lead this fight and I believe my experience in public office as well as in the private sector as a business owner will help Heritage become even more effective in the years to come.

“I’m humbled to follow in the footsteps of Ed Feulner, who built the most important conservative institution in the nation. He has been a friend and mentor for years and I am honored to carry on his legacy of fighting for freedom.

"My constituents know that being a Senator was never going to be my career. I came to Congress as a citizen legislator and I've always been determined to leave it as citizen legislator. South Carolina has a deep bench of conservative leaders and I know Governor Haley will select a great replacement.

"One of the most rewarding things I've done in the Senate is work with the grassroots to help elect a new generation of leaders who have the courage to fight for the principles of freedom that make this country so great. I'm confident these senators will continue the legacy of conservative leaders before them."

The AP reports:

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint is resigning his Senate seat to take the helm of a conservative think tank.

DeMint's Washington office confirmed Thursday that the prominent tea party supporter from South Carolina is stepping down to become president of the Heritage Foundation, effective Jan. 1.

His office said DeMint was too busy to come to the phone.

The 61-year-old Republican was first elected to the Senate in 2004.

Republican Gov. Nikki Haley gets to appoint his successor to the Senate.

His former state director Luke Byars says the new role allows DeMint to affect change outside of the U.S. Capitol.

The political consultant says it's a vehicle for him to push and pull on conservative issues on a national stage to get the attention of people in Washington.

UPDATE -- 11:15 a.m.: CNN's Peter Hamby tweets that DeMint wants Congressman Tim Scott to take over his seat:


Peter Hamby
DeMint has made it known in Columbia that he wants Tim Scott to be appointed to his seat, sources tell CNN

UPDATE -- 11:32 a.m.: Feulner praised DeMint's "sterling" "conservative credentials" in an email Thursday.

"It puts my mind at ease to know that Jim's capable hands will take the helm," Feulner writes. "I know Heritage will continue to uphold the same high standards and conservative principles that we have since our founding in 1973."

Read Feulner's full statement below:

Three years ago, I told the Heritage Foundation's Board of Trustees that I would step down as president in April of 2013. I urged them to set up a formal succession process and begin a national search.

During their nationwide search, the Board looked for a successor who would keep Heritage on its course of growth and innovation, and preserve our widely acknowledged status as an institutional center of the conservative movement. And the Board has found a splendid successor.

I'm delighted to announce that the Board has elected Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina to take over next April as President of The Heritage Foundation.

Jim, who will resign his Senate seat before then, needs little introduction. He has spent most of his life as an entrepreneur, building and running his own marketing firm. In 1998 he won a seat in the House of Representatives and in 2004 was elected to the Senate.

His conservative credentials are sterling. National Journal recently ranked him as the most conservative member of the Senate. Americans for Tax Reform named him the No. 1 senator for his voting record on tax and spending policies. He is a favorite of the Tea Party, and he has earned a tremendous 99% rating from Heritage Action for America.

It puts my mind at ease to know that Jim's capable hands will take the helm. I know Heritage will continue to uphold the same high standards and conservative principles that we have since our founding in 1973.

Also on HuffPost:

Loading Slideshow...

  • Robert Byrd (D-W.V.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan. 3, 1959 to June 28, 2010 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 51 years, 5 months, 26 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V., appears at a Senate hearing on May 9, 2007 in Washington. He died on June 28, 2010 at the age of 92. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

  • Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan. 3, 1963 to Dec. 17, 2012 <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) speaks at a May 18, 2011 hearing in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

  • Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Dec. 14, 1954 to April 4, 1956 and Nov 7, 1956 to Jan 3, 2003 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 47 years, 5 months, 8 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Senator Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., pictured on May 22, 1997. He died on June 26, 2003 at the age of 100. (STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images)

  • Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Nov. 7, 1962 to Aug. 25, 2009 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 46 years, 9 months, 19 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) speaks during a Jan. 21, 2007 taping of NBC's "Meet the Press." He died on Aug. 25, 2009 at the age of 77. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

  • Carl Hayden (D-Ariz.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> March 4, 1927 to Jan. 3, 1969 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 41 years, 9 months, 30 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> President Lyndon Johnson presents a pen to Sen. Carl Hayden, D-Ariz., on September 30, 1968 in Washington. Hayden died on Jan. 25, 1972 at the age of 94. (AP Photo)

  • John Stennis (D-Miss.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Nov. 5, 1947 to Jan. 2, 1989 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 41 years, 1 month, 29 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> John Stennis, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, speaks on the July 6, 1969 edition of ABC's "Issues and Answers." Stennis died on April 23, 1995 at the age of 93. (AP Photo)

  • Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Dec. 24, 1968 to Jan. 2, 2009 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 40 years, 10 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> In this Tuesday, April 7, 2009 file photo, former Sen. Ted Stevens arrives at federal court in Washington. Stevens died in a plane crash on Monday, Aug. 9, 2010 at the age of 86. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, file)

  • Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Nov. 9, 1966 to Jan. 2, 2005 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 38 years, 1 month, 25 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., appears at a Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 7, 1983. He ran for the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination, but lost out to Vice President Walter Mondale. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

  • Richard Russell (D-Ga.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan. 12, 1933 to Jan. 21, 1971 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 38 years, 19 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. Richard Russell (D-Ga.), shown from his Senate office desk in Washington on July 14, 1942. Russell died on Jan. 21, 1971 at age 73. (AP Photo/Eugene Abbott)

  • Russell Long (D-La.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Dec. 31, 1948 to Jan. 2, 1987 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 38 years, 3 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Russell Long, shown at his desk in Baton Rouge, La., on Feb. 21, 1948. Long died on May 9, 2003 at age 84. (AP Photo)

  • Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan. 3, 1975 to present <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., stands in front of the U.S. Capitol building on Monday, Nov. 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

  • Francis Warren (R-Wyo.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Nov. 18, 1890 to March 3, 1893 and March 4, 1895 to Nov. 24, 1929 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 37 years, 4 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

  • James Eastland (D-Miss.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> June 30, 1941 to Sept. 28, 1941 and Jan. 3, 1943 to Dec. 27, 1978 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 36 years, 2 months, 24 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. James O. Eastland of Mississippi, is shown in Washington on March 25, 1971. Eastland died on Feb. 19, 1986 at age 81. (AP Photo / Charles Tasnadi)

  • Warren Magnuson (D-Wash.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Dec. 14, 1944 to Jan. 2, 1981 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 36 years, 20 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Then-Rep. Warren Magnuson (D-Wash.) smiles in his Washington office on Oct. 19, 1943. Magnuson died on May 20, 1989 at the age of 84. (AP Photo)

  • Joe Biden (D-Del.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan. 3, 1973 to Jan. 15, 2009 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 36 years, 13 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Democratic vice presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.) speaks at a rally in support of then-Democratic presidential nomineee U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) on October 12, 2008 in Scranton, Pa. (Photo by Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)

  • Pete Domenici (R-N.M.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan. 3, 1973 to Jan. 2, 2009 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 36 years <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> U.S. Republican Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) listens during the announcement of the America Competes Act on March 5, 2007 in Washington. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

  • Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan. 3, 1961 to Jan. 2, 1997 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 36 years <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell, D-R.I., announces on Sept. 5, 1995 that he would not seek a seventh term in office. Pell died on Jan. 1, 2009 at age 90. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

  • Kenneth McKellar (D-Tenn.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> March 4, 1917 to Jan. 2, 1953 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 35 years, 10 months <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. Kenneth McKellar (D-Tenn) left, and James M. Landis, OCD director meet on Feb. 27, 1942. McKellar died on Oct. 25, 1957 at age 88. (AP Photo)

  • Milton Young (R-N.D.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> March 12, 1945 to Jan. 2, 1981 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 35 years, 9 months, 22 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, left, chats to Senator John L. McClellan (D-Ark.), center, and Senator Milton Young (R-N.D.), at the White House in Washington, March 24, 1975. Young died on May 31, 1983 at the age of 85. (AP Photo)

  • Ellison Smith (D-S.C.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> March 4, 1909 to Nov. 17, 1944 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 35 years, 8 months, 13 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. Ellison Smith (left) meets with Secretary of Agriculture, Henry Wallace (right) on Jan. 18, 1934 in Washington. Smith died on Nov. 17, 1944 at age 80. (AP Photo)

  • Allen Ellender (D-La.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan. 3, 1937 to July 27, 1972 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 35 years, 6 months, 24 days <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. Allen Ellender, D-La., bids goodbye to Mrs. Ladybird Johnson after a gumbo luncheon at the Capitol on August 21, 1964. Ellender died on July 27, 1972 at age 81. (AP Photo)

  • William Boyd Allison (R-Iowa)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> March 4, 1873 to Aug. 4, 1908 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 35 years, 5 months <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a>

  • Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan 3. 1977 to present <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) heads to a weekly policy meeting at the Capitol on March 20, 2012 in Washington. (Photo by T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images)

  • Richard Lugar (R-Ind.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan 3. 1977 to present <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> Sen. Richard Lugar attends a courtesy call to the Malacanang Palace in Manila on October 29, 2012. (NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images)

  • John McClellan (D-Ark.)

    <strong>Dates of service:</strong> Jan. 3, 1943 to Nov. 28, 1977 <strong>Years of service:</strong> 34 years, 11 months <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/senators/Biographical/longest_serving.htm">United States Senate</a> A portrait of John McClellan, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1935-38 and served in the Senate from 1943 until his death in 1977. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)