WASHINGTON (AP) — A Washington GOP official says South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has chosen Rep. Tim Scott to replace Jim DeMint in the Senate.
Scott, a tea party-backed conservative, would be the first black senator in the state's history.
He would take office in January after DeMint resigns to take the helm of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
Scott would face an election in November 2014 should he seek a full term.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity before the announcement had not yet been made. Haley has scheduled a noon news conference in Columbia, S.C.
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