GOP voters said no to Tim Scott. His girlfriend said yes.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who has faced years of speculation about his marital status, on Saturday proposed to Mindy Noce, his girlfriend and an interior designer who lives in Charleston. She said yes.

It has been a whirlwind few days for Mr. Scott, whose endorsement of former President Donald J. Trump at a rally in New Hampshire on Friday again spoke to his consideration as a running mate should Mr. Trump win the Republican nomination.

The engagement, that was first reported by The Washington Post, comes after more than a year of dating. Mr. Scott made his relationship with Ms. Noce public when he brought her on stage after a Republican presidential primary debate — the last one he would participate in before suspending his campaign in November. The two met in church.

A spokesman for Mr. Scott, Nathan Brand, confirmed the engagement, which took place on Kiawah Island, S.C., near Charleston. Mr. Scott and Mrs. Noce then had a celebratory dinner and Mrs. Noce went to church the next morning wearing her engagement ring.

Mr. Scott shared his news with a national audience on “Sunday Night in America,” the Fox News program hosted by Trey Gowdy, his friend and a former South Carolina congressman.

Mr. Scott, a longtime bachelor, tried to keep his relationship status quiet. Yet his bachelorhood had been the subject of much criticism during his presidential bid and in his Senate career. When asked several times during the campaign about his marital status, Mr. Scott often demurred, saying he was praying for the right woman before taking that step.

“One of the things I love about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it always points us in the right direction. Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord,” he told Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird in September. “Can we just pray for me together?”