Tim Scott to endorse Donald Trump ahead of New Hampshire Republican primary

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina is expected to endorse former President Donald Trump ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, a blow to his fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador.

A person familiar with Scott’s plans confirmed Friday to The Associated Press that Scott was expected to travel from Florida to New Hampshire with the GOP front-runner. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity due to not being allowed to discuss the plans publicly. The endorsement was first reported by The New York Times.

Scott last May launched his own bid to challenge Trump before shuttering his effort about six months later.

Trump has been appearing on the campaign trail with several other former rivals, who have endorsed him, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Scott’s endorsement was sought by the remaining major contenders in the Republican primary, particularly ahead of South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary, which has historically been influential in determining the eventual nominee.

Haley appointed Scott to the Senate in 2012.

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Meg Kinnard be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP