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Jim DeMint, Tea Party US senator, quits | Jim DeMint, Tea Party US senator, quits |
(about 1 hour later) | |
US Republican senator and Tea Party champion Jim DeMint is resigning to lead a conservative think tank. | |
His office said the South Carolina politician would become president of the Heritage Foundation next month. | His office said the South Carolina politician would become president of the Heritage Foundation next month. |
The 61-year-old Republican was first elected to the Senate in 2004 and won a second term in last month's elections. | The 61-year-old Republican was first elected to the Senate in 2004 and won a second term in last month's elections. |
South Carolina's Republican Governor, Nikki Haley, will appoint his successor, who will serve until a 2014 special election. | South Carolina's Republican Governor, Nikki Haley, will appoint his successor, who will serve until a 2014 special election. |
'Battle of ideas' | |
As the state is solidly Republican, the balance of power is not expected to change in the Senate. Democrats have 55 of the 100 seats in the upper chamber. | |
In a statement, Gov Haley said: "On a personal level, I value Jim's leadership and friendship. Our state's loss is the Heritage Foundation's gain." | In a statement, Gov Haley said: "On a personal level, I value Jim's leadership and friendship. Our state's loss is the Heritage Foundation's gain." |
Sen DeMint's current salary is $174,000 (£108,000), while the outgoing leader of the Heritage Foundation reportedly earns $1m. | |
In a statement, Sen DeMint said he believes he will be able to share his conservative views with a wider audience at the think tank. | |
"I'm leaving the Senate now, but I'm not leaving the fight," he said. "I've decided to join the Heritage Foundation at a time when the conservative movement needs strong leadership in the battle of ideas." | |
Republicans in his home state were stunned by the resignation. | |
South Carolina party chairman Chad Connelly said: "He's been a conservative rock star. | |
"I'm sure the conservatives in South Carolina will be heartbroken. DeMint's been an icon for a lot of us in the conservative movement." | |
Popular with Tea Party activists, Sen DeMint at times clashed with the Republican leadership. | |
Only this week, he rebuffed Republican House Speaker John Boehner's proposal during fiscal cliff negotiations that offered $800bn in new taxes. | |
Sen DeMint said Mr Boehner's offer would "destroy jobs and allow politicians in Washington to spend even more, while not reducing our $16tn debt by a single penny". | Sen DeMint said Mr Boehner's offer would "destroy jobs and allow politicians in Washington to spend even more, while not reducing our $16tn debt by a single penny". |
The senator - who previously served in the US House of Representatives for three terms - also led opposition to President Barack Obama's healthcare reform. | The senator - who previously served in the US House of Representatives for three terms - also led opposition to President Barack Obama's healthcare reform. |
"If we're able to stop Obama [on healthcare]," Mr DeMint said in 2009, "it will be his Waterloo." | "If we're able to stop Obama [on healthcare]," Mr DeMint said in 2009, "it will be his Waterloo." |
But the healthcare reform became law in 2010 and was upheld by the US Supreme Court this year. | But the healthcare reform became law in 2010 and was upheld by the US Supreme Court this year. |
Sen DeMint also helped set up a political action committee to back Senate candidates whom he deemed to be bona fide conservatives. | |
He supported Christine O'Donnell in Delaware and Sharron Angle in Nevada, although both were soundly beaten after adopting stances widely viewed as beyond the mainstream. | |
But Sen Mr DeMint was also one of the first to champion Florida Senator Marco Rubio, now a rising Republican star. | |
Sen DeMint had already said he would not run for re-election, meaning his term would have ended in January 2017. But his announcement to step aside much earlier was a surprise. |