Republican presidental candidate Scott visits Iowa

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - South Carolina Senator Tim Scott has chosen Sioux City for his first visit to Iowa after launching his campaign for president on Monday.

The Republican toured Siouxland Christian School Wednesday, speaking to students and staff.

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, has been the GOP's leading voice on issues including policing and race relations while rejecting the idea that the country is racist.

He told a roundtable at the school that he still believes in the traditional American Dream.

"When you are infused with hope and opportunity, and you are taught that discipline and perseverance and grit matters, in the you rise beyond your circumstances, you start seeing a world that is filled with opportunities," Scott exclaimed.

Scott joins an increasingly crowded field of Republicans that also includes former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who appointed Scott to his Senate seat to fill a vacancy in 2012.

Scott will host a town hall with Iowa voters later that evening.