Aaron Scott

Aaron Michael Scott (born May 11, 1955) is an American politician and attorney currently serving as the junior Senator for New Columbia. Scott is known for his public service and leadership in politics, along with being a bridge-builder in a hyper-polarized political environment. He resides in his home town of Charleston, South Carolina.

## Early life and education

Scott was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. His father was a manager of a local grocery store and his mother an elementary school teacher. After Scott graduated from high school, he enrolled in the Citadel, a senior military school. He's described his time at the Citadel as "one of the things that shaped me the most." After graduating summa cum laude, Scott moved to Washington, D.C. and enrolled in the Georgetown School of Law. After graduating, Scott returned home to Charleston to serve as a public defender, but eventually became a prosecutor for the District of South Carolina.

## Political Career

Scott was recruited to run for Congress in what was then known as District 7. Scott was easily elected with little opposition. Scott left the chamber after 1 term and established residency in his wife's home state of Maryland so their family could be closer to theirs. Scott was then called to run for the vacant United States Senate seat (left by who we now know as Michael Sturgis). Scott again ran unopposed and declared himself a candidate for Senate Majority Leader. Scott initially ran out of frustration that the current Majority Leader, Cameron Andrews, wasn't a member of the majority party and often opposed the GOP's own policies. Andrews stepped aside and Scott was easily elected. Scott then got to work passing landmark bipartisan education reform, which namely outlawed standardized testing and created a universal preschool program. Scott also was pivotal in passing the first budget in DES history, negotiating alongside then-President Benjamin Bryant, then-Speaker Tom Bush (Representative), and Senator Harry Bennett.

Scott was re-elected to a second term, but resigned halfway into his term after several incumbent politicians left office in what some have called the "The Political Massacre." Critics and opponents of Scott attempted to implicate him in the Mod/Bot scandal but Scott was exonerated, with owner Everett Terry saying the rumors were completely unfounded. Scott spent his political retirement with family, moved back to Charleston, and started his own law firm.

Then-President Harry Bennett asked Scott to return to DES to serve as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Scott's nomination was stalled in the Senate. Several hearings were scheduled with 0 Senators showing up. Eventually when a hearing took place Senators had no questions for the nominee, yet he was failed in the Judiciary Committee without explanation. This frustrated Scott to the point of realizing that the Senate was once again broken and that it needed a helping hand to fix it. He declared his candidacy for the Senate seat in New Columbia currently being held by Hillary Obama.

The race between Scott and Obama was a close one, with both often trading leads. The race often got personal with Obama attacking Scott, which led to often petty and aggressive campaigning by both sides. In the end, Scott was victorious, defeating Obama with 52% of the vote. Scott was unanimously elected President Pro Tempore to start the work of fixing the Senate.

So far in his current Senate term, Scott worked to push through many of President Brett Cawthorn's nominations and to support his agenda. Scott passed legislation promoting women's healthcare and to prevent scam robocalls, both with bipartisan support. Scott was pivotal in the President's bipartisan immigration deal and currently serves as Chairman of the Budget and Judiciary committees.

At the start of the new Congress, several Senators pledged they would vote to re-elect Scott to the position of PPT but went back on their word to support Scott's opponent and colleague Joshua Cooley. The vote for PPT was 4 for Scott, 4 for Cooley. Vice President Brian Ainsley surprised many by breaking the tie for Cooley after reported pushing from many in the White House to support Scott's re-election. Scott was disappointed by the results, but promised to continue his work in the Senate with his colleagues despite many breaking their word.

Scott has been floated as a potential presidential or vice presidential candidate, but has denied interest in higher office, often stating that his "heart is with New Columbia, not the White House."

Scott is currently in his second non-consecutive term in the Senate, has stated that he intends on running for re-election, and is currently serving alongside Nate Romney, New Columbia's senior Senator.

## Personal life

Scott is deeply religious, having gone to church since he was a small boy. Scott has 4 children and has been married to his high school sweetheart since 1976. In his free time, Scott enjoys spending time with family, listening to music (often listing ABBA and Dolly Parton as his favorite artists), and watching television. Scott also closely follows late night television, showing support for Conan O'Brien when he left NBC during the Tonight Show Debacle, and listing O'Brien as his favorite comedian of all time.