Tim Scott, an African-American Republican member of Congress from South Carolina, is already garnering buzz as a possible replacement for Jim DeMint, who announced his resignation from the U.S. Senate on Thursday.

DeMint said Thursday that he is leaving the Senate in January to take over at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington D.C.

Under state law, South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley will appoint a replacement until a special election is held in 2014.

Political observers and journalists floated Scott as a replacement almost immediately after news of DeMint’s resignation broke. If he’s appointed, Scott will be the only African-American currently serving in the U.S. Senate.

Gov. Nikki Haley now has the ability to give the US Senate its only black Senator — a conservative from South Carolina named Tim Scott. — Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) December 6, 2012

DeMint has made it known in Columbia that he wants Tim Scott to be appointed to his seat, sources tell CNN — Peter Hamby (@PeterHambyCNN) December 6, 2012

I second that. RT @mattklewis My 1st thought is that conservatives should push for Sen. Tim Scott. — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) December 6, 2012

Asked whom DeMint prefers to replace him in the Senate, Wesley Denton, a spokesman for the senator, told TheDC, “That is Governor Haley’s decision.”

“As Senator DeMint said in his statement, ‘South Carolina has a deep bench of conservative leaders and I know Governor Haley will select a great replacement,'” Denton said.

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