2024 candidate Tim Scott seeks higher profile with Iowa event, campaign ads – Iowa Capital Dispatch

PELLA — U.S. Sen. Tim Scott returned to the Iowa campaign trail Wednesday as he moves to boost himself as an optimistic alternative to former President Donald Trump.

Scott spoke to voters at Sun Valley Barn in Pella, answering questions and calling for a return of the “American dream.” It’s a pitch he’s made many times on the campaign trail, speaking against “critical race theory” in classrooms and the idea that America is evil.

Scott said his path from a Southern low-income, single parent household to a U.S. senator shows that hard work can still lead to a better future in America.

“My story is not a story where a silver spoon is present — it was a plastic spoon,” Scott told voters. “… I believe in America not because I have all the things that went right, I actually believe in America because I was blessed to grow up in this (country).”

Scott is working to position himself as a positive figure in the growing field of Republican presidential candidates. He’s contrasting himself particularly against Trump, who some Republicans see as too contentious to win in another match-up against President Joe Biden.

Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court to 37 felony counts accusing him of improperly possessing, concealing and mishandling classified documents. Trump’s recent legal troubles have not lessened his popularity among Republicans – he still leads 2024 Republican candidates in polls. On Thursday, Trump’s campaign reported raising more than $6.6 million in the past week since news of the indictment broke.

But not all Iowa Republicans who agree with Trump that the prosecution is politically motivated plan to support him in the caucuses. Zelda Engbers of Pella said she does not like the fighting between Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and she is looking for a candidate who is more forward-looking.

“When (DeSantis) came across with his message in Florida, I really thought ‘Hey, that’s the guy,’” Engbers said. “But now that you begin to see some of the negative ads, then you begin to wonder.”

Jeff Liston from rural Monroe County said he was also keeping an open mind, not committing to a candidate as the race for the 2024 Republican nomination heats up. Liston said he liked many of the positions Scott brought up and the way he answered questions on military and education issues – but that that will be the case for many of the running Republicans.

Choosing a caucus candidate means finding who has views that best align with your own and who can win a general election, he said, and Scott could prove to be a frontrunner in those regards.

Liston is also not considering supporting Trump for the 2024 nomination. While both he and Engbers said they will vote for Trump if he becomes the Republican nominee, both said they hope to avoid that outcome.

“If he’s campaigning from a jail cell and Biden’s campaigning from his basement, I don’t know if we’ve got that good of a choice,” Liston said.

But Scott is not the only 2024 candidate hoping to win over Iowa Republicans who do not support Trump – candidates including Trump’s former running mate Mike Pence and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson also hope to gain momentum contrasting themselves to the former president. Scott will also will have to overcome the gap in name recognition between him and candidates like Trump and DeSantis.

The South Carolina Republican is tackling those hurdles with an aggressive advertisement campaign in the early states. Scott started the race with $22 million cash on hand, carried over from his fall Senate run – more than any other presidential candidate in history. He released another round of ads Monday, titled “Simple Truths” and “Our Values.”

The super-PAC supporting Scott, Trust in the Mission (TIM), has also started purchasing ads touting the candidate. The political action committee spent more than $7 million on an Iowa and New Hampshire ad buy days after his announcement, with more than $1 million spent on digital and TV ads so far across Iowa and other states.

Brent Ewell from Pella said he learned about Scott from social media, and came to the event to learn more about Scott’s policies.

“I’m looking for somebody that can handle all the bureaucracy and try to work to bring two vastly split parties together, to be more for the common good rather than just to get reelected,” Ewell said.