Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) became the longest-serving black senator on Friday when he was sworn into the 119th Congress.
The previous longest-serving black senator was former Massachusetts Sen. Edward Brooke, who served two full terms from 1967 to 1979.
“As we begin the 119th Congress, Senate Republicans have high enthusiasm and are focused on delivering for the American people,” Scott said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner.
Scott, the first elected black senator from the South, is the first black person to serve in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. After serving in the House from 2011 until 2013, Scott was appointed to the Senate by then-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley after former Sen. Jim DeMint resigned. He was elected in 2014 to fill the rest of DeMint’s term and won reelection to his first full term in 2016.
The South Carolina senator has also become the first black chairman of a Senate standing committee, assuming the top spot on the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. He previously served on this committee as the ranking member last Congress but assumed the role as chairman after Republicans retook the majority.
He will also play a major role in helping Republicans retain control of the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections after being tapped to lead the Senate GOP campaign arm.
“I am thrilled to serve as the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee,” Scott said. “My goal is simple: make America work for Americans.”
“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.”
The 59-year-old’s milestone comes 60 years after Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The senator launched a 2024 bid for the White House but later suspended his campaign and endorsed President-elect Donald Trump. At one point, Scott was also among the front-runners floated to serve as Trump’s running mate before Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) was eventually selected for the No. 2 spot.
Scott is the only black Republican in the Senate, though in 2025, the chamber will have the most black senators serving concurrently. In addition to Scott, the group includes Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). Alsobrooks and Rochester are also making history as the first two black women to serve together in the Senate concurrently.
After graduating from Charleston Southern University in 1988 with a degree in political science, Scott worked as an insurance agent and financial adviser. He entered politics in 1994 when he campaigned for the Charleston County Council. When he was elected in 1995, he was the first black person elected to any office in South Carolina since 1902.
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So incredibly proud of @votetimscott for achieving a very special milestone in American politics by becoming the longest-serving African American senator in the history of the nation. This achievement was made possible because the voters of South Carolina believe in Tim Scott and… https://t.co/l1nCw7Vj4d
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 3, 2025
Fellow South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) congratulated Scott on his achievement, writing on X he is “incredibly proud” of the “major 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!”
