Exclusive: Jim DeMint Endorses Scott Parkinson for Virginia Senate Race

Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) endorsed Virginia Senate Republican candidate Scott Parkinson in a statement obtained exclusively by Breitbart News.

On Monday, Parkinson—former Club for Growth vice president of government affairs—became the second Republican to announce his bid to unseat Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) in 2024.

Parkinson previously served as then-Rep. Ron DeSantis’s chief of staff in 2018 and held many positions with the office of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). He has worked at the Club for Growth since 2019.

Now, DeMint, the former senator from South Carolina and the chairman of the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI), endorsed Parkinson’s bid for the Senate Republican nomination.

“I’m excited to endorse Scott Parkinson for the United States Senate in Virginia,” DeMint said in a statement obtained by Breitbart News. “Scott will fight for the People of Virginia and our republic. Guided by his conservative principles, faith in God, and loyalty to the Constitution – I’m certain Scott will refuse to play the political games that far too many politicians play which causes them to break promises and betray the American People. Scott has my full support!”

The Virginia Republican has also been endorsed by other conservatives, such as Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN).

Lee wrote this week, “I love this guy, and it would be great to have him in the Senate. I endorse him wholeheartedly.”

I love this guy, and it would be great to have him in the Senate. I endorse him wholeheartedly. https://t.co/7sgB94Yp3G

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) April 3, 2023

Banks wrote in a statement this week:

Scott Parkinson is a strong conservative leader. He fought alongside me to get the Trump-era tax cuts bill through Congress and is a fierce advocate for deregulation and education freedom. I’m proud to endorse him for U.S. Senate in Virginia and look forward to working together to win back the Republican majority.

Support my friend @ScottTParkinson https://t.co/uufRebh67M 🇺🇸 https://t.co/jMKGPXmVO1

— Jim Banks (@Jim_Banks) April 4, 2023

In an interview with the Associated Press (AP), Parkinson said would fight to roll back regulations stifling “American opportunity.”

“I’m terrified about what the future of the American economy looks like for my kids. And so that will be a big, big element of our campaign, when we create a movement to rescue the middle class,” he explained.