Morning Distribution for Tuesday, May 23, 2023

A [FiveThirtyEight]( email [Morning Distribution]( Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Your daily briefing from FiveThirtyEight --------------------------------------------------------------- The Morning Story [A photo of Tim Scott holding a microphone.]( [Tim Scott’s Uphill Battle To Win The Republican Nomination]( By [Alex Samuels]( A [decisive Election Day win]( last year. A prime speaking slot at a [national Republican convention](. That elusive “fresh face” that a [plurality of GOP voters]( have [told pollsters they want]( going into next year’s election. If you think I’m talking about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, you’re mistaken. Yes, [he checks]( [these boxes]( too. And yes, these are objectively good résumé boosters to have if you want to seek — let alone win — the Republican nomination for president. But there’s another name to watch who embodies these same traits: South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, now the fifth major Republican candidate (after former President [Donald Trump]( former South Carolina Gov. [Nikki Haley]( entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. [Asa Hutchinson]( to announce their candidacy for president. Though it’s [not particularly common]( for two candidates from the same state to seek the presidency, there are plenty of reasons for Scott to run. He’s a rising star within the party — given both a [marquee speaking slot]( at the 2020 Republican National Convention and the opportunity to [deliver the Republican response]( to President Biden’s State of the Union in 2021 — who enjoys relative popularity in his own state and is sitting on a campaign [war chest of over $21 million](. And if Republicans want to build [a more diverse voting base]( Scott could have broader appeal to voters as a Black man. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly Listen [Play]( [Politics Podcast: Can Tim Scott’s Optimism Win Over The GOP?]( [FiveThirtyEight] [View in browser]( [ABC News]( [Unsubscribe]( Our mailing address: FiveThirtyEight, 47 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023.