- Tim Scott, a 2024 GOP contender for president, has dropped out of the race.
- He called the campaign quits just hours after he publicly debuted his relationship with his girlfriend.
- Despite ample financial resources, his platform didn’t resonate among GOP voters.
Tim Scott, GOP senator from South Carolina senator and a candidate for president in 2024, has dropped out of the race — just hours after he publicly debuted his relationship with his girlfriend after the third Republican debate.
“I love America more today than I did on May 22. But when I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign,” Scott said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday.
Scott recently came under fire regarding the secrecy surrounding his relationship with Mindy Noce, an interior designer he has been dating for “about a year or so,” Axios reported.
The senator’s road to the GOP nomination also saw hurdles from the outset of his campaign announcement in May.
More than half of GOP primary voters said in a Morning Consult poll that they had not heard anything about Scott’s candidacy a week after his campaign rollout, while only 38% of the voters said they heard something positive about the candidate.
Still, the South Carolina senator did build up a considerable war chest. Scott’s campaign began with $22 million prior to his announcement and received substantial backing from Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corporation.
The tech billionaire poured $35 million into the senator’s super PAC, Opportunity Matters Fund.
Scott told Fox News’ Trey Gowdy that he has no plans of endorsing another candidate for the Republican primary.
“I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they’re telling me, ‘Not now Tim,'” the senator said on Fox News.
A spokesperson for Scott’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
