Senator Tim Scott will make history on Friday as the longest-serving black senator ever after he is sworn into the new 119th Congress.
The South Carolina Republican lawmaker and close ally of President-elect Donald Trump first assumed office as a U.S. senator in January 2013.
His milestone comes 60 years after black Americans were guaranteed the right to vote with the the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The longest-serving black senator prior to Scott was Republican Senator Edward Brooke of Massachusetts who served two full terms from 1967 to 1979.
‘My goal is simple: make America work for Americans,’ Scott said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
‘As we get to work cleaning up the mess from the previous administration, I look forward to working with President Trump on his priorities, including paving a path for all Americans to have the necessary tools and resources to achieve their version of the American Dream,’ he added.
Scott vowed to ‘unlock opportunity, strengthen our nation, and make America the shining city on the Hill again.’
Scott, 59, was first appointed to fill the South Carolina Senate seat by then-Governor Nikki Haley in December 2012 to replace retiring Senator Jim DeMint.
He then was elected in 2014 to fill the rest of DeMint’s term and won reelection to his first full term in 2016.
Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) became the longest-serving black senator in U.S. history with the start of the new Congress
As well as being the longest-serving black senator in U.S. history, Scott will also be the first black chairman of a Senate standing committee.
He previously served as ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee in the last Congress, but with Republicans retaking the majority, he will assume the role of chairman.
Scott will also play a crucial role in helping the GOP retain control in the Senate in the 2026 midterms after being elected to lead the Republican Senate campaign arm in November.
‘As we begin the 119th Congress, Senate Republicans have high enthusiasm and are focused on delivering for the American people! This Congress, I am thrilled to serve as the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee,’ Scott said.
Republicans hold a three-seat majority in the Senate in the new Congress after flipping four seats in November, but the Senate map is less friendly two years from now.
He’s also a newlywed as he married interior designer Mindy Noce, 47, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, in August.
Their wedding comes months after critics said they only got engaged before the New Hampshire primary because he was gunning for Donald Trump’s vice president slot at the time.
But their love is withstanding the test of time and Noce will likely be a more frequent visitor to D.C. in the coming months.
Scott’s fellow South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham weighed in on the historic achievement on Friday, writing on X he is ‘incredibly proud’ of him for the ‘very special milestone.’
‘This achievement was made possible because the voters of South Carolina believe in Tim Scott and his positive, upbeat, conservative message,’ Graham wrote. ‘As we celebrate Tim achieving this major milestone in American politics, I am certain that when it comes to Senator Tim Scott, the best is yet to come!’
Scott married interior designer Mindy Noce in Mount Pleasant, SC in August
Scott speaking at the South Carolina Statehouse after being introduced by then-Governor Nikki Haley (center) who appointed him to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Senator Jim DeMint
Scott being sworn into office as a U.S. senator with his mother Frances
Scott gained national attention in 2023 with a bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
He ended up dropping out of the race that November and became a fierce defender of President-elect Trump as he barreled toward clinching the nomination.
Scott at one point was also among the frontrunners floated to serve as Trump’s running mate before he selected Ohio Senator J.D. Vance for the number-two spot.
Before being appointed to serve in the Senate, Scott served in the House representing South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District from 2011 to 2013 and in the South Carolina House.
Scott taking the stage for a Republican presidential primary debate in September 2023
Scott endorsed Trump for president in January 2024 after ending his own presidential bid in November 2023
Scott is the only black Republican in the Senate.
Across the aisle, Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey is the only other black senator besides Scott and Brooke to have hit the eleven-year mark.
He was sworn into office nine months after Scott in October 2013 after winning the special election in his state.
But the new Congress will also be gaining two more black senators this year.
For the first time in history, there will be two black women serving as U.S. senators at the same time with Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware both being sworn into office.