Sen. Tim Scott, who leads Senate Republicans' campaign funding efforts, says he would welcome former South Carolina congressman Trey Gowdy stepping in to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. Scott has reportedly been calling Gowdy, now a Fox News host, multiple times a day to persuade him to run, though Gowdy has so far resisted the entreaties. The move highlights the jockeying already under way within the South Carolina GOP to determine who will succeed Graham, a long-serving and prominent Republican senator.

Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is said to have more than one potential candidate in mind, though Gowdy is described as his clear favourite. Gowdy previously served in the House of Representatives representing South Carolina and gained national prominence for his role in congressional investigations before moving into a media career at Fox News. No formal decision on Graham's successor has yet been announced.