Who Will Replace Jim DeMint?

Now that Senator Jim DeMint is officially departing from his public position on Capitol Hill in January, the question is who will replace him? South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is now responsible for appointing DeMint's replacement. The name already popping up in conservative circles is Congressman Tim Scott. Scott is a one term House Representative from South Carolina, every bit as conservative as DeMint and is a devotee to the great Thomas Sowell.

Since being sworn-in for his freshman term on January 5, 2011, Congressman Tim Scott has been a tireless advocate for smaller government, lower taxes, and restoring fiscal responsibility in Washington.

Tim took immediate action – the first bill he authored would defund and deauthorize the President’s health care reform package. He was also named to the influential House Rules Committee, asked to serve as a Deputy Whip and sits as one of two freshmen on the Elected Leadership Committee.

Tim also confronted our nation’s outdated and cumbersome tax code by sponsoring the Rising Tides Act. This legislation would lower burdensome corporate tax rates that discourage job growth and allow for the permanent repatriation of overseas profits. The latter would encourage American companies to bring home more than $1 trillion dollars that can be used for investment and job creation.

Scott has consistently voted for significant cuts in federal spending, and opposed measures he believes do not go far enough. Tim was an original cosponsor of the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act, which would do just as it says – cut spending, cap our spending moving forward based on how much we bring in, and add a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He also cosponsored two stand-alone bills that would create a Balanced Budget Amendment, and voted against raising our nation’s debt limit.

Tim has also taken a strong stance in support of right-to-work states, and has been an outspoken critic of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) decision to sue Boeing over expanding in right-to-work South Carolina. He authored the Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act, which was subsequently passed by the House of Representatives, to remove the NLRB’s ability to kill jobs. Scott has also sponsored the Employee Rights Act, which ensures all American workers have a voice in the workplace, not just union leaders and Big Labor advocates.

Finally, he is a strong social conservative, cosponsoring multiple bills protecting American family values and reaffirming 2nd Amendment rights.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Tim served on Charleston County Council for 13 years, including four terms as Chair and in the South Carolina House of Representatives for two years where he was elected Chairman of the Freshman Caucus and House Whip. He was the owner of Tim Scott Allstate and partner of Pathway Real Estate Group.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has made it known in South Carolina that he wants Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to replace him in the Senate, two state Republican sources tell The Hill.

The sources, requesting anonymity to speak candidly, say Scott is DeMint's preference for the seat, though the final decision will be Gov. Nikki Haley's (R). She will appoint someone to serve out the rest of DeMint's term after he officially resigns from the Senate to take over the conservative Heritage Foundation in January. An election for the seat will then be held in 2014 for the remaining two years of the term.