Tim Scott isn’t married — and that makes GOP donors wary
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Tim Scott isn’t married — and that makes GOP donors wary
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) speaks during the first GOP presidential debate last week in Milwaukee. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Top GOP donors and their allies privately are pushing Sen. Tim Scott 's team for more detail about his bachelor status before deciding how much to support him in the presidential campaign, according to two people familiar with the conversations.
Why it matters: Many of the donors are in the market for a viable alternative to former President Trump — but still aren't sure about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , who's running second to Trump in GOP polls. Scott, 57, is among those trying to woo such fundraisers.
- The U.S. hasn't elected an unmarried person as president in 139 years. It's typical for candidates to trot out their families to try to enhance their appeal to voters.
- Scott's reluctance to say much about his private life has raised concerns among some conservative Republican donors, according to the sources, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the issue.
Driving the news: Responding to this reporting, a senior official for Scott's campaign told Axios the South Carolina senator will be discussing the issue in the coming weeks.
- During an interview with Axios in May , Scott said he had a girlfriend but kept her identity private.
- "The fact that half of America's adult population is single for the first time, to suggest that somehow being married or not married is going to be the determining factor of whether you're a good president or not — it sounds like we're living in 1963 and not 2023," Scott said then.
- He also spun being single as a potential plus.
- "I probably have more time, more energy, and more latitude to do the job," he said, adding that even so, "my girlfriend wants to see me when I come home."
Zoom in: Potential donors who've asked Scott's campaign about his personal life have been told much the same thing. But for some, it has only fueled their curiosity and apprehension, the sources said.
- "[New Jersey Sen.] Cory Booker went through the same thing running for president in 2020 and it seems to not have been a problem for him — but maybe that's more normal for Democrats," said one source familiar with the sentiment among GOP donors.
- The same person told Axios that some donors have questions, but it's not a majority. "I'm surprised it doesn't come up more," the source said.
Between the lines: In his first five weeks as a candidate, Scott spent about $800,000 more than he raised, according to campaign finance disclosures.
- Scott can continue that spending for a while, however — he transferred $22 million from his Senate campaign account at the outset of his presidential campaign.
- As of July, he had $21 million on hand — second only to Trump among Republican presidential candidates.
- Scott has had at least one megadonor in his corner — Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who is set to donate an eight-figure sum to a pro-Scott super PAC, according to Puck News.
Scott has bet big on doing well in the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses, and has emphasized his faith in courting the state's large number of evangelicals.
- In a recent poll by The Des Moines Register and NBC News , Scott was running third in the GOP primary among Iowa evangelicals at 7%, behind Trump (47%) and DeSantis (20%).
- Trump's strength in Iowa suggests that the state's conservative Republican voters aren't necessarily doctrinaire about a candidate's private life, given his three marriages and alleged affairs.
- DeSantis' campaign has pointedly emphasized his family. His wife, Casey, and their young children often are at events and in ads.
Scott spokesperson Nathan Brand told Axios: "Tim Scott's optimistic, positive message continues to resonate with Iowa and New Hampshire voters who are focused on issues impacting their families."
Zoom out: The U.S. has not elected a bachelor to be president since Grover Cleveland in 1884, but there have been other single candidates recently.
- When Booker ran for president, he was dating actress Rosario Dawson.
- Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) ran for president in 1992, 14 years after his divorce. But unlike Booker, he didn't date while campaigning because he thought it would be a distraction.
- "People do not know who Bob Kerrey is, and I don't want them to be reading stories about who it is that I'm dating and trying to figure out who I am," he told The New York Times then .
- There have been two bachelor presidents — Cleveland and James Buchanan. Cleveland married while in office; Buchanan was a lifelong bachelor.
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Maybe the "megadonors" are afraid his girlfriend is white. /s
Or that his girlfriend isn't a "girl" friend at all....................
Or the girlfriend is a democrat.
LOL! I was thinking the same thing
Hah, that’s probably the big fear right there.
There will be no limit to what the left will try to do to a Conservative Black Man.
Didn't democrats make the case that Bill Clinton's private life should be separate from his performance as president?
Clinton survived and thrived after an Oval Office blowjob from a woman young enough to be his daughter, exposed himself to Paula Jones, was accused of rape by Juanita Broaddrick, sexually harassed several other women, rode on the Lolita Express multiple times, and was impeached for lying about it all.
His private life was available for all to see. People these days don't really about such immaterial things
He was impeached for lying about a blowjob, which is a pretty stupid thing to impeach someone for. But the public is willing to forgive a lot if they see their wallets fatten while you are in office.
He is neither conservative or black.
Conservative donors are part of the left now?
And yes, unless it is illegal, a person’s private life should be separate from their public performance. Again though, these are conservative donors raising the issue, not sure why you are bringing up democrats except to deflect for some weird reason.
Perhaps Senator Scott isn't married because he's smart.