Former South Carolina governor and U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford will run against Sen. Darline Graham in the Republican special primary to fill the Senate nomination left open by Lindsey Graham’s death.
See Mark Sanford announce bid for Lindsey Graham’s seat
Former South Carolina Gov. and U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford announced his bid for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat.
@MarkSanford / X
Former Republican South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford announced his bid for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat, despite President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Graham’s sister.
“I’ve spent my entire time in politics fighting this fight, and I’m running for U.S. Senate to keep the American dream alive for our sons, my grandson, and those you love,” Sanford, also a former congressman, wrote in a social media announcement July 23.
Sanford, 66, will run against Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term and has announced she will run for the full term, which begins in January.
Four other Republicans are vying for the nomination in the special primary election: U.S. Rep. Russell Fry; Walterboro, South Carolina, attorney Duke Buckner; U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and Greenville businessman Mark Lynch. A July 21 Peak Insights poll, originally published by POLITICO, showed Norman leading his four opponents. Still, former Rep. Trey Gowdy – who has not announced a bid – prevailed as the poll’s frontrunner, topping Normal by 25 percentage points.
Sanford’s politics career includes two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives for South Carolina’s first district from 1995-2001 and then again from 2013-2019 and two terms as South Carolina governor from 2003-2011.
Sanford’s legacy is mixed, as a 2009 extramarital affair marks his record with scandal. Before that, a September 2008 Rasmussen Report of governors’ approval ratings put him at 17% excellent, 36% good, 28% fair and 17% poor.
Here’s the timeline:
- July 11: Sen. Lindsey Graham dies of medical complications.
- July 13: Trump recommends in a Truth Social post that Darline Graham serve as interim senator and current Gov. Henry McMaster announces her appointment. Lynch declares his bid for the Senate seat.
- July 14: Darline Graham is sworn into office.
- July 17: The president posts on Truth Social that he met with Graham and asked her to run in the special election.
- July 18: Norman tells FOX News in a live interview that he is running. Turning Point USA endorses him later that day.
- July 20: Graham announces she will run for U.S. Senate. Fry launches his campaign via social media. Buckner announces his candidacy in a news release sent to the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network.
- July 23: Former Gov. Sanford enters the race.
On Aug. 11, South Carolina voters will head to the polls for a special primary runoff to fill the vacancy in the Republican nomination for November’s Senate election.
