Primary Election
Trump-backed appointee Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman lead a crowded GOP special primary
President Trump endorsed the appointed incumbent — Lindsey Graham's sister, Darline Graham — while Rep. Ralph Norman consolidated conservative-movement support.
U.S. Senator, South Carolina (appointed)
Lowering the Cost of Living — Names affordability as the top priority for a full term, not national security: 'I know what it is to struggle from week to week, paycheck to paycheck.' Cites grocery, gas, health care, and insurance costs as what constituents raise most, a break from the predecessor's foreign-policy focus.
Donald Trump +5
U.S. Representative, SC-7
Support for President Trump — Says he has no major disagreements with the president and cites his voting record as proof of loyalty. The president's primary endorsement in this race, however, has gone to a rival, not to him -- a reminder the alliance he describes isn't one the president has endorsed.
40+ South Carolina state legislators
U.S. Representative, SC-5
End Corruption, Fraud, and Abuse — Calls the $40 trillion national debt his top concern, saying Congress has 'a spending problem,' not an income problem. Voted against the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act for not cutting enough, and wants offsets required for new federal spending while targeting mandatory programs, over 70% of the budget.
Rep. Nancy Mace +7
Former Governor of South Carolina
End Corruption, Fraud, and Abuse — Made the ballooning national debt the entire rationale for running, warning deficits will crush the economy and wipe out savings if unaddressed. Brought two piglets named Debt and Deficit to the State House in August 2026, pointing to zero-based budgeting and DMV-wait-time cuts as governor to show spending can be cut.
No major endorsements yet
Business owner
Protect Life — Rejects 15-week abortion bans as insufficient, saying he is '100% pro-life — not 100% for 15 weeks of life,' and backs federal protection for life from conception with no gestational exceptions. Cites South Carolina's abortion count rising from 5,468 in 2020 to 8,187 in 2023 as proof current law fails.
No major endorsements yet
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Election Integrity & Reform
South Carolina already requires photo ID to vote and, under Act 150 of 2022, established early voting and changed absentee procedures; the live dispute is whether to add proof-of-citizenship requirements for federal elections and roll back mail-in and drop-box access, which are state-level choices the U.S. Senate cannot directly make, though the chamber can set federal voting standards and fund election administration.
Cosponsored the SAVE America Act as first Senate legislation, requiring photo ID and proof of citizenship to register and vote in federal elections and directing states to purge noncitizens from voter rolls. Compares it to needing ID for a library card and wants only citizens deciding elections.
WRDWEnd Corruption, Fraud, and Abuse
The seat is for the U.S. Senate, so the relevant corruption-and-fraud levers are federal: oversight of agencies like the Department of Defense, the IRS, and the Department of Education, plus the power of the purse over omnibus spending and agency budgets. State-level anti-corruption statutes and the State Inspector General's authority to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse in South Carolina government are outside a senator's direct jurisdiction, though they frame the broader issue voters may care about.
Calls the $40 trillion national debt his top concern, saying Congress has 'a spending problem,' not an income problem. Voted against the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act for not cutting enough, and wants offsets required for new federal spending while targeting mandatory programs, over 70% of the budget.
ABC News 4Border Security and Immigration Enforcement
Immigration enforcement is primarily a federal responsibility, but South Carolina has moved to expand state and local involvement: a pending state bill (H. 4764) would require local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and creates an Illegal Immigration Enforcement Unit, while sheriffs in the state have already entered into 287(g) agreements with ICE that authorize local officers to identify, arrest, and detain people for deportation. The contested question is how far state and local agencies should go in assisting federal enforcement, and what the state's role and costs should be.
Has campaigned on deporting 15 to 20 million people who are in the country illegally and voted for the Laken Riley Act, mandating federal detention for unauthorized immigrants charged with theft, assault, or more serious crimes. Also voted against adding thousands more visas for Afghan wartime allies.
Live 5 NewsCycle-to-date · FEC — figures change as new reports are filed.
FrySanfordNormanResearched & verified Aug 9, 2026. Compiled from verified public sources; claims that failed verification are excluded.
