Haley says she won't appoint placeholder for DeMint seat

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) will not appoint a placeholder to replace Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), she said in a statement on Monday.

"I do not want to tie the next U.S. Senator from South Carolina's hands regarding future office. I do not want to deprive our state's citizens of the chance to render their judgment on the appointee's performance by way of their vote. Most importantly, while I am an avid supporter of term limits, I do not want the effectiveness of our state's new U.S. Senator to be undermined by the fact that he or she will automatically be leaving the office such a very short time after assuming it," Haley said in the statement.

"I believe South Carolina will be best served by a U.S. Senator who will work hard day in and day out, and put him or herself before the voters at the soonest possible time," she continued. "Accordingly, I reject the option of a 'placeholder.' "

Sources told The Hill last week that DeMint's preferred replacement is Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and his name has since received by far the most buzz both in Washington D.C. and in South Carolina, along with comedian Stephen Colbert, who grew up in South Carolina. Haley's decision likely eliminated former South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster (R) and former GOP state Chairman Katon Dawson (R) from the mix, as both were expected to serve as placeholders if they were chosen.

Haley has said she would move fast to name a replacement. She has multiple events planned for tomorrow including two media availabilities, one in Scott's district — but those events had been on her schedule before DeMint announced his decision to resign so he could take over the conservative Heritage Foundation. A Haley spokesman declined to speculate on when her decision will be made or who she's talking to about it.

This post was updated at 2:20 p.m.

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