Sanford Enters Crowded South Carolina Senate Race Despite Trump’s Graham Endorsement

Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina governor and congressman who has been critical of President Donald Trump, announced Thursday that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. His entry into the race adds another major contender to an increasingly competitive Republican primary field, even as Trump has thrown his support behind Graham’s sister, Darline Graham.

Darline Graham was appointed last week to temporarily fill the remainder of her brother’s term and announced Monday her intention to seek a full six-year Senate term. She revealed her candidacy during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” program, three days after meeting with Trump at the White House, where the president granted her his “complete and total endorsement” and publicly urged her to run.

Despite the president’s backing of Graham, multiple other prominent South Carolina Republicans have declared their intentions to compete in the primary. Rep. Russell Fry, a two-term House member, announced his candidacy Monday, while Rep. Ralph Norman declared his bid over the weekend after failing to secure the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Businessman Mark Lynch, who lost to Lindsey Graham by nearly 30 percentage points in last month’s GOP primary, has also signaled he will seek the Republican nomination again.

Sanford, who served as South Carolina’s governor from 2002 to 2010 and represented the state in Congress across two separate stints, centered his campaign message on fiscal concerns. He cited the nation’s growing debt as his primary motivation for entering the race, stating that Washington is “adding a trillion dollars to the debt every 100 days.”

Unlike Sanford, both Fry and Norman are emphasizing their alignment with Trump and pledging loyalty to the president. Fry declared on social media that he would be Trump’s “strongest ally in the United States Senate” and positioned himself as a “MAGA warrior” in an accompanying campaign video. Norman similarly stressed his commitment to supporting Trump and advancing the president’s legislative agenda, particularly Trump’s election reform priorities.

Conservative senators Mike Lee of Utah and Rick Scott of Florida have backed Norman, citing his support for Trump’s election reform bill. Norman has also received endorsement from the political wing of Turning Point USA and from retiring Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina.

Graham’s campaign benefits from Trump’s endorsement as well as support from Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, who called her “an excellent senator.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota has remained neutral, though he characterized Graham as a “strong candidate” despite her lack of prior electoral experience.

The special Republican primary is scheduled for Aug. 11, with a runoff election set for Aug. 25 if no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote. Political analysts consider Graham the frontrunner heading into the compressed primary timeline, given Trump’s endorsement and her surname recognition. The Republican nominee will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election in the heavily Republican state.

Republican strategist Ryan Williams told Fox News Digital that while a Trump endorsement provides “a major boost for any candidacy,” it does not guarantee victory. He noted that multiple House members may view this as an opportune moment to advance their political careers, and suggested Norman and Fry could appeal to Trump voters regardless of the president’s official endorsement.