Danny Ford II
About
Based in Pendleton, South Carolina · Age 40
Danny Lee Ford II is a cattle and hemp farmer from Pendleton, South Carolina, and the son of former Clemson head football coach Danny Ford. He ran for S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture earlier in 2026, losing the June 23 Republican runoff, then filed for the special Senate primary after Sen. Lindsey Graham's death. The state GOP disqualified him over his primary-voting history, but a circuit judge ordered him back onto the ballot on August 4, 2026 — a ruling the party is appealing.
Operates his family's cattle farm in Central, South Carolina, established by his father in 1982
Runs a 180,000-square-foot hemp greenhouse operation in Travelers Rest
Son of Danny Ford, the coach who led Clemson to its first national football championship (1981)
Placed second in the June 2026 Republican primary for S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture; lost the June 23 runoff
No prior elected office
Where they stand
Data Centers and Growth
Opposes the pace of AI data center development in South Carolina, saying it is being approved without residents' input; wants new facilities required to generate their own power rather than draw on the grid and warns unchecked buildout could leave lasting environmental damage across the state.
Lowering the Cost of Living
Ties rising grocery prices to consolidation in meat processing, pointing to four packing companies controlling roughly 85% of the food supply; wants that concentration broken up and argues rebuilding local farm production would ease costs for South Carolina families at the register.
Standing Up for Farmers and Rural Communities
Wants to break up the four meatpacking companies that control roughly 85% of the food supply, arguing consolidation is squeezing family farms out of business. Cites the state importing an estimated 68% of its food and calls for rebuilding local, self-sufficient production to close that gap.
Others running for U.S. Senator
