“Only American citizens should vote in our elections.” (first campaign ad, released 2026-07-30)

“I will go to the Senate and [pass] the Save America Act. I will do whatever it takes to get that.” (SCGOP stump stop, August 1)

Lynch supports requiring photo identification and proof of U.S. citizenship for federal elections, banning ballot harvesting, eliminating unsecured ballot drop boxes, ending mass unsolicited mail-in voting, restoring in-person voting as the national standard, and requiring transparent election audits and chain-of-custody procedures.

Advocates voter ID requirements.

Lynch calls for aggressive audits of federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, closing loopholes that enable fraud in federal programs, opposing omnibus spending bills, supporting a Balanced Budget Amendment, eliminating redundant agencies, and prohibiting members of Congress from using public office for personal financial gain.

Would eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and the IRS.

“I'm all for supporting and funding ICE. I support law enforcement. President Trump has done a great job protecting our borders.” (August 3 debate)

Fry advocates finishing the border wall, strengthening immigration law, ending catch-and-release, deporting criminal illegal aliens, and punishing traffickers and drug lords to stop the fentanyl crisis.

Ralph Norman supports securing the border and enforcing immigration laws as part of his conservative platform.

“A secure border is indeed a key to sovereignty itself. Same on sanctuary cities, same on adequately funding law enforcement.” (August 3 debate)

Mark Lynch advocates for securing the southern border, completing the border wall, detaining and deporting illegal immigrants, ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, requiring nationwide E-Verify, eliminating federal funding for sanctuary cities, ending chain migration and the diversity visa lottery, and stopping abuse of H-1B and OPT visa programs. He also supports pausing immigration when necessary to protect wages and security.

Supports immigration enforcement.

“If they build nuclear missiles, their goal is to come here and kill us. So the more we can fight them over there and prevent it over there, the better for the United States.” (August 3 debate)

“No boots on the ground. I'm not a believer in that. My brother served in Iraq, and I've lost friends in foreign wars, but we can finish the mission by defanging Iran and making sure they have no capabilities left.” (August 3 debate)

“There are military generals now that are saying to really eliminate them, you're going to have to put boots on the ground. I don't think the country wants that right now.” (August 3 debate)

“Only Congress has the authority to declare war. This decision needs to be made by Congress.” (August 3 debate)

“We can't allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Having said that, it's time to bring our men and women home, to get them out of harm's way.” (August 3 debate)

Opposes U.S. involvement in Iran and wants troops withdrawn from the Middle East. “We need to quit putting all of our attention to wars and bring all of our attention back to the people, the people of South Carolina and the people of the country.”

Distinguishing her position from her late brother's, Graham backed ending the filibuster: “I'm all for getting rid of the filibuster, because eventually the Democrats are going to get rid of it anyway.” (August 3 debate)

“The Senate has to be shaken up. If that means changing the filibuster, then we have to do it.” He added that voters expect senators to “get the job done, not grandstand or get in the way.” (August 3 debate)

On passing the SAVE Act: “I will do whatever it takes to get that. That's a top priority—even if it means blowing the filibuster up.” (SCGOP stump stop, August 1)

Declined to commit to backing John Thune as Senate Republican leader, calling him a “scapegoat” for the chamber's narrow Republican margin. (August 4 debate)

Would not commit to supporting John Thune as Senate Republican leader — “Absolutely not” — citing Thune's unwillingness to change Senate rules to pass the SAVE Act. (August 4 debate)

Voiced “unabashed support” for data centers. (August 3 debate)

Attacked the absent Graham's position: “We had a[n] earth-shattering moment last night, where one of the candidates who's not on stage said that she wanted unfettered data centers in the state of South Carolina without local control” — calling it “unacceptable.” (August 4 debate)

“The federal government needs direction from the local communities, the local experts, law enforcement.” (August 4 debate)

Argued local communities should have input on data-center development, with federal “guardrails.” (August 4 debate)

“It is a pain point for South Carolinians. We're tired of waking up and seeing 100 acres of trees bulldozed, and we're told the data center is going to go right next to our neighborhood. It is horrible noise pollution.” (August 3 debate) At the August 4 debate he called data centers “a threat to our neighborhoods.”

Fry guarantees veterans accessible healthcare, mental health support, and a smooth transition to civilian life, holds the VA accountable, and supports military families and installations.

Ralph Norman supports veterans and the military as part of his conservative platform.

Lynch prioritizes funding for veterans' healthcare, housing, and services before making new foreign commitments, and advocates for increasing access to healthcare, mental health treatment, housing, and transition services for veterans.

Fry aims to stop China from stealing technology and infiltrating institutions, bring critical supply chains home, rebuild American manufacturing, and block foreign adversaries from buying American farmland near military installations.

Lynch opposes hostile foreign nations, particularly the Chinese Communist Party, purchasing American farmland and strategic assets, and supports holding China accountable for economic espionage and unfair trade practices.

Fry pledges to protect religious liberty, defend the Second Amendment without compromise, and stand for life and traditional South Carolina values.

Ralph Norman supports protecting women's sports, as listed on his campaign page.

Calls himself a “budget hawk”: “I'll make sure we have offsets for any new spending… The debt that we have in this country is not sustainable. We can't have endless wars.” (August 4 debate)

The federal debt is the central rationale for his candidacy. In his announcement video: “I’m worried for our children because for the first time, America’s borrowing from the future faster than we’re building it. If left unaddressed, that debt will crush our economy. It will wipe out our savings, and it could even destroy our republic.”

Lynch advocates for banning hostile foreign governments from purchasing American farmland, protecting family farms from excessive regulation, rebuilding domestic manufacturing, bringing critical pharmaceutical production back to the U.S., expanding American steel and energy production, and using federal procurement to prioritize American-made products.

Buckner's stated campaign rationale is stopping socialism: “I'm running for U.S. Senate to warn the American people and the great people of South Carolina about the impending socialist revolution — and to stop the socialist revolution.” He adds: “That socialist message of free food, free rent, free housing, free education, free healthcare is very, very attractive.”

Ralph Norman supports law and order as part of his conservative platform.

Lynch supports increasing federal penalties for organized rioting, looting, arson, and destruction of property, providing resources to law enforcement without federal mandates, targeting violent cartels and traffickers, opposing efforts to defund or abolish police, and defending victims' rights.

Opposes abortion: “Every life is precious.” (first campaign ad, released 2026-07-30)

Ralph Norman has consistently fought to protect the unborn, as part of his conservative record.

Lynch supports federal legislation recognizing and protecting life from conception, opposes all federal funding for abortion, supports making Hyde Amendment protections permanent, protecting infants who survive attempted abortions, expanding adoption services and pregnancy resource centers, and protecting conscience rights of healthcare providers.

At her 2026-08-01 political debut in Lexington: “I've never had any desire to be a politician. I'm here today because I'm answering President Trump's call to serve. I want to stand up for South Carolina, and I want to fight for President Trump's agenda.”

Russell Fry is an early and unwavering ally of President Trump, committed to advancing the America First agenda including secure borders, lower costs, energy dominance, and government accountability. He backs the President's judges and nominees and opposes obstruction.

Asked whether the next senator's job is to support President Trump, Norman said yes but noted: “You can disagree with him. He loves competing ideas.” (August 3 debate)

“I voted with the president 90% of the time I was in office.” Sanford defends occasional disagreement with President Trump while emphasizing broad agreement. (ABC News 4 interview, August 4)

Asked whether the next senator's job is to support President Trump, Lynch said yes, noting he has voted for Trump every time he has been on the ballot, and added “iron sharpens iron” — disagreement can be productive. (August 3 debate)

Explicitly rejects reflexive Trump loyalty: “I'm not there to be the MAGA warrior for Donald Trump… I'm there to be the warrior for the people of South Carolina and to fight for the issues for everybody, not just to blindly go along with some party decision.”

Fry supports making the Trump tax cuts permanent, rolling back regulations on small businesses and farmers, cutting wasteful federal spending, and reducing the national debt to lower costs for families.

Buckner says people should be able to afford a home, raise a family, and build a better life. He wants to make it easier to build, expand opportunities in the skilled trades, and lower the cost of living.

“The national debt is terrible…But if you don't have the gas to get to the job you hope to have, and you don't have the money to buy the food, nobody really cares about how bad the national debt is.” (SCGOP stump stop, August 1)

“We can make everything more affordable. When inflation is lowered, interest rates are lower.” (SCGOP stump stop, August 1)

“The affordability issue is crucial. Young people are not going to be able to afford taxes, especially property taxes.” (WPDE interview, August 4)

Fry supports school choice, letting education dollars follow the student, returning control to parents and local communities, and supporting teachers while demanding results.

Proposes tuition-free in-state higher education in exchange for a post-graduation service commitment.

Fry supports an 'all of the above' energy strategy including oil, gas, and nuclear, cutting permitting red tape, and maintaining energy independence without green mandates.

Supports reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Supports expanding American energy production.

Fry champions term limits for Congress, a ban on members trading individual stocks, and demands transparency and accountability from the federal bureaucracy.

“I don't believe that people should look at these senatorial positions as career paths. I'm for term limits.” (WPDE interview, August 4)

“Men don't belong in women's sports.” (first campaign ad, released 2026-07-30)

Lynch supports enforcing Title IX according to biological sex, prohibiting biological males from competing in women's sports in federally funded programs, protecting privacy in sex-separated spaces, affirming parental rights in education and healthcare decisions, and opposing federal mandates that replace biological sex with subjective gender identity.

Points to his record: “When I was governor, we saw the first cut to the grocery tax, we saw the first cut to property tax, we saw the largest recurring tax cut in South Carolina history.” (August 3 debate)

Lynch supports a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, opposes deficit spending, and advocates for cutting nonessential federal programs, eliminating wasteful spending, and requiring transparent line-item accountability. He also opposes omnibus spending bills and supports enforceable spending caps.

Advocates a flat tax of roughly 10% and would eventually eliminate the IRS. “Everybody pays the same percent.”

“South Carolinians are struggling under the weight of out-of-control federal spending, crushing regulations, and a tax system that punishes productivity and innovation. We don't need more career politicians making promises — we need an engineer who knows how to cut waste, balance budgets, and deliver real relief.”