(NewsNation) — South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott will be taking the stage at Chicago’s New Beginnings Church as part of his ongoing 2024 campaign push through Iowa and the Midwest.
The church is located in Chicago’s O Block, once considered the most dangerous neighborhood in Chicago. Now, the neighborhood is under intense efforts to rehabilitate it from local community members.
The pastor of the church issued an open invitation for all the presidential candidates to come and see the progress for themselves, but Scott was the first to accept the invite.
So far, Scott has struggled to differentiate himself from his GOP competitors lately with his poll numbers plummeting.
Visiting dangerous and overlooked neighborhoods could help him get his name back out there in a positive way as the senator needs all the help he can get to bolster his campaign.
Sources tell NewsNation Scott will discuss how the issue of race is dividing Americans, the failures of Democrats in big cities like Chicago and the latest escalations in the Israel-Hamas war.
Scott is well behind his Republican competitors, pulling in less than 2% of the Republican vote, according to the average polling data from Real Clear Politics
He has also not qualified for the third presidential debate, scheduled for November. But his campaign team says they are confident he will reach the threshold requirements by then.
As primary season draws closer, there has been intense scrutiny and speculation about the likelihood that Scott remains in the race.
Meanwhile, Scott’s South Carolina competitor Nikki Haley is on the rise in latest polling, with many saying she could be the greatest threat to GOP frontrunner former President Donald Trump.
