Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford Enters Race for Graham’s Seat
Sanford says Washington is adding $1 trillion to the debt every 100 days as he joins a field that already includes six other Republicans.
- On Thursday, July 23, 2026, former Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate special primary, citing the national debt as his primary motivation for entering the race.
- The special election follows the unexpected death of incumbent Senator Lindsey Graham earlier this month, with Sanford entering a crowded field including interim Senator Darline Graham Nordone, Congressman Ralph Norman, and Congressman Russell Fry.
- Unlike other GOP candidates aligned with the MAGA movement, Sanford emphasizes fiscal restraint and deficit reduction, drawing on his experience serving two stints in the House and two terms as South Carolina governor.
- Filing for the seat continues through Tuesday, July 28, 2026, ahead of the August 11 special primary, with a runoff election scheduled for August 25 if no candidate secures a majority of votes.
- Whoever wins the special Republican primary will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the November 3, 2026, general election, while interim Senator Nordone seeks to retain the seat until January 3, 2027.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Here Are the Candidates Vying for Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Seat
Voting booths at a polling location inside the Charles R. Drew Wellness Center during a primary election in Columbia, South Carolina, on June 9, 2026. —Sam Wolfe—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesThe deadline for candidates to file their intent to run in the special Republican primary election to fill the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat is next week, and the race is already looking quite crowded.Graham, who represented South Carolina in the Senate for more …
Also-rans Abound in the Race for Lindsey Graham’s Seat
The crowded and complicated special GOP primary to fill the late Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat has lots of retreads, including Mark Sanford, some 2026 losers, and perhaps Trey Gowdy. Lindsey’s name is present too via his sister, Darline.
GMC Friday Headlines: Congressman Mark Sanford To Join Senate Race & Former State Representative Dies
Friday Headlines: Former governor and congressman Mark Sanford announced he will be joining the Republican primary to replace late Senator Lindsey Graham & The North Charleston Police Department says former state representative Chris Murphy has died. Categories: ABC Columbia News Update (First Row)
Sanford Enters Race for Graham's Senate Seat
Mark Sanford is trying yet another political comeback, this time aiming for the US Senate seat formerly held by Lindsey Graham. The ex-congressman and former South Carolina governor on Thursday jumped into an already packed Republican primary for Graham's seat, now held by the late senator's sister, Sen. Darline Graham,...
Former South Carolina Governor Running for Lindsey Graham’s Seat
Former governor and past presidential candidate Mark Sanford jumped into the crowded race for former South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat on July 23, saying it was time to get national spending under control. The once high-profile critic of President Donald Trump was known as a hardline fiscal conservative and budget hawk as a former congressman. “America is borrowing from the future faster than we’re building it,” Sanford said in a video a…
Ex-South Carolina Governor and Congressman Mark Sanford Announces Run for Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat
Sanford was for years considered a rising star in the GOP — until he went missing for several days in 2009 and later admitted to having an affair in Argentina.
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