Republican Tim Scott will become the first African-American from South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.(Photo: Rainier Ehrhardt, AP)
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has set a May 7 special election for
the House seat of Republican Tim Scott, who is joining the Senate on
Thursday.
Haley appointed Scott, who was elected to the House in
2010, to take the place of Republican Jim DeMint, who resigned to run
the Heritage Foundation think tank. Scott has made history as the first
African-American senator from South Carolina and the first black senator
to represent the South since Reconstruction.
Under Haley's
order, the primary for the House seat -- which is based in Charleston
and runs along the South Carolina coast -- will be held March 19 with
runoffs on April 2.
Scott's resignation from the U.S. House took effect on Wednesday.
USA Today