Amid all the back and forth between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, you would think we’re down to the last two candidates for president and that it’s almost November. However, there are three declared Republicans in the race, and more are on the way.

Along with Trump, you’ve got Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. DeSantis hasn’t even declared but his recent rhetoric – including finally responding to Trump as dismissively as Trump’s childish insults deserve – shows you can expect him to (probably after Florida’s legislative session is over).

Other candidates are expected to jump in, and that includes Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. Apparently, he’s started making the moves to declare. Via POLITICO:

Sen. Tim Scott’s preparations for a presidential run are well underway, putting the South Carolina Republican on track to be the next candidate to formally mount a White House bid.

The Palmetto State senator is hosting a donor summit in Charleston next month, the same week he plans to travel to two early nominating states to hold events.

Invitations to Scott’s “Faith in America Summit,” a copy of which was obtained by POLITICO, have been going out to both national and South Carolina donors. The retreat is set for April 14 and 15 in Charleston, beginning with a reception and dinner that Friday and a breakfast, policy discussion and “political update” on Saturday.

The donor gathering is the surest sign to date that Scott is preparing to pull the trigger on a 2024 bid for president. But it’s not the only one.

Assembling donors is just one aspect of prepping a campaign like this. You are going to need a lot of money, but you also need to lay out the groundwork in several states and start building a voter coalition. And, according to the sources who spoke to POLITICO, that’s exactly what he’s doing ahead of that donor summit.

Scott is headed to Iowa and New Hampshire in the coming days, and he is apparently going to be making a play for the evangelical vote. Interestingly, that’s going to be a crowded field in 2024 as Mike Pence, who may be preparing for his own run, would also be occupying that space.

However, Scott has allies, particularly in the Senate. He’s well-liked and former Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado is also heading up a PAC that seems to be Scott-aligned.

“It would be a mistake by anyone to think that this is a two-person race,” Gardner told POLITICO. “Should Sen. Scott get in, I think the doors will open wide.”

The PAC in question is “Opportunity Matters Fund Action,” which plays into the message Scott is known for – that all Americans should be given the same opportunities, which would allow even the scion of a poor black farmer to rise to U.S. Senator.

The president’s budget isolates and divides our nation. We need to get back to economic policies that create opportunity for every American. pic.twitter.com/PMIjVIrKKt

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) March 21, 2023

The PAC is being co-run by Republican strategist Rob Collins, and it will focus on promoting “Sen. Scott’s record of optimistic conservatism,” Gardner said, adding that they “anxiously await to see where that message goes.”

You can expect Scott to focus not just on his faith in that regard, but also issues like criminal justice reform – which he has spearheaded in the Senate more than once in recent years – and education reforms like school choice.

Scott’s candidacy could be an interesting one to watch. He certainly provides something new and different. Whether or not it plays into the wider Republican base’s desire for a “fighter,” however, is still in question.