American Conservative Union pushes Tim Scott for DeMint Senate seat

The American Conservative Union is pushing for South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) to pick Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to replace Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) in the Senate, the group announced Monday afternoon, adding to the chorus of conservative backers for the congressman.

"On behalf of the American Conservative Union, I urge South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to make history and appoint Representative Tim Scott to the United States Senate," ACU Chairman Al Cardenas said in a statement. "A strong conservative leader, Rep. Scott has an ACU rating of 96 and was elected as one of two members chosen by his colleagues to represent the 85 member Republican freshmen class at the leadership table."

Scott is also DeMint's preferred choice to replace him when he resigns from the Senate in January, according to two South Carolina GOP sources. Haley has not said who she'll pick, though on Monday she announced that she would not choose a "placeholder candidate," favoring someone who plans to run in the 2014 election for the last two years of DeMint's term.

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