COLUMBIA, S.C. — Voters on Tuesday elected U.S. Sen. Tim Scott to his first full term representing South Carolina, selecting the Republican over Democratic challenger Thomas A. Dixon.
Scott, 51, had just been elected to a second term in the U.S. House in 2012 when Gov. Nikki Haley appointed him to take over for Sen. Jim DeMint, who left the chamber to head up the Heritage Foundation. At that point, Scott became the first African-American senator from the South since just after the Civil War.
In 2014, Scott was elected to the remaining two years of DeMint’s term. In doing so, he also became the first black to win a statewide race in South Carolina since the Reconstruction era.
Scott, the lone black Republican in the Senate, made headlines in July when he candidly described being stopped by police, even Capitol Hill police, because of the color of his skin.
“I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness and the humiliation that comes with feeling like you’re being targeted for nothing more than just being yourself,” Scott said. In remarks on the Senate floor, Scott recounted how he was pulled over seven times within a year. He also said he was stopped by a U.S. Capitol Police officer who said he recognized the pin he was wearing that identifies him as a senator — but didn’t recognize Scott.
A day later, several African-American lawmakers recalled similar experiences, saying their white colleagues would not be treated the same way.
Scott followed up his remarks with another speech offering solutions, including more body cameras, better tracking of police shootings and better police training, among other ideas.
“It’s a dark hour in race relations for America,” said Scott, whose grandfather picked cotton in the Deep South. “But I bring you hope, real hope.”
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