Tim Scott leading effort to recruit minority conservative candidates

Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), the only African American Republican in the Senate, is working on a new effort to encourage more minority conservatives to run for office.

“I have often times been described as a unicorn. I’m a very unique brand in the Republican movement,” Scott told The Hill.

Scott was named honorary chairman of the Empower America Project, a nonprofit that launched in June.

{mosads}The project recruits conservatives from diverse backgrounds, hosts training programs to identify and educate minority leaders on the political process, communications skills and policy, and aims to also educate the public about conservative candidates.

“Hopefully this will be the beginning of a very long process of engaging conservative minded folks who are not today represented in large parts in the conservative movement,” Scott said. “My thought has always been many of the minority communities … have conservative leanings and we hope we can stitch together the necessary patterns.”

In his new role, Scott will help encourage and promote candidates for local and statewide offices.

Scott said that his goal is to see “that the conservative movement … be populated in every corridor of the country” and to ensure that “minority candidates, more women candidates, will be leading the charge and carrying the flag of conservatism.”

The senator said when he travels the country, he always meets conservative minorities. He hopes that by pushing them to run for office, those candidates can in turn recruit others.

“Sen. Scott is an inspiration to so many people all across the country,” the project’s executive director, Jimmy Kemp, said in a statement. “His story is proof positive that the American Dream is alive and well no matter where you come from or who your parents are.”

“Empower America Project seeks leaders who embody the Tim Scott philosophy – conservatives who want to make sure all Americans have the opportunity to achieve their dreams,” Kemp added.

The project celebrated its launch on June 26 at the National Press Club and Scott, as well as Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), along with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), attended. 

Stefanik has been active in recruiting Republican women to run for Congress. She is behind E-PAC, a political action committee to focus on recruiting women and supporting their elections.

Efforts to encourage more GOP women to run for office were dealt a blow in June, when Rep. Susan Brooks (Ind.), one of the 13 Republican women in the House, announced her retirement.

She has also been influential in recruiting women to run and is the recruitment chair for the National Republican Congressional Committee for the 2020 cycle.