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