{"id":15354,"date":"2026-07-24T04:49:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T23:49:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15354"},"modified":"2026-07-24T04:49:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T23:49:51","slug":"ex-gov-mark-sanford-joins-gop-field-for-sc-senate-seat-despite-trumps-backing-of-lindsey-grahams-sister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=15354","title":{"rendered":"Ex Gov. Mark Sanford joins GOP field for SC Senate seat, despite Trump&#8217;s backing of Lindsey Graham&#8217;s sister"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F07%2Fdonald-trump-endorsement-fails-clear-135314345.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Former congressman and former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, a GOP critic of President\u00a0Donald Trump, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/03\/30\/us-news\/mark-sanford-attempting-a-congressional-comeback-months-after-allegation-of-affair-with-olivia-nuzzi\/\">launched a Senate bid<\/a> on Thursday as he became the latest high-profile Republican running for the seat of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham and joins a crowded field against Trump\u2019s endorsed candidate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re at a tipping point, and that\u2019s why I\u2019ve decided to run for the U.S. Senate,\u201d Sanford said in a launch video. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d ask that you look at my record in Congress and as governor in watching out for your family\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Darline Graham, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/13\/us-news\/south-carolina-gov-mcmaster-unveils-pick-to-succeed-late-sen-lindsey-graham-for-remainder-of-his-term\/\">who was appointed last week<\/a> to fill the remainder of her late brother\u2019s term, announced Monday in an interview on Fox News\u2019 \u201cHannity\u201d that she\u2019s running for a full six-year term in the Senate. Graham\u2019s announcement came three days after she met with Trump at the White House, and the president gave her his \u201ccomplete and total endorsement\u201d as he encouraged her to run.<\/p>\n<p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/17\/us-news\/trump-urges-lindsey-grahams-sister-darline-graham-nordone-to-run-for-full-senate-term-nobody-better\/\">Trump\u2019s backing<\/a> of the late senator\u2019s sister isn\u2019t stopping other well-known South Carolina Republicans from jumping into the contest.<\/p>\n<p>Republican Rep. Ralph Norman, who unsuccessfully campaigned this year for the\u00a0GOP gubernatorial nomination\u00a0in the race <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/07\/25\/us-news\/conservative-rep-ralph-norman-to-enter-south-carolina-governors-race\/\">to succeed<\/a> term-limited South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, announced his intention to run this past weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Two-term GOP <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/06\/14\/trump-backed-candidate-russell-fry-beats-incumbent-tom-rice-in-sc-house-primary\/\">Rep. Russell Fry<\/a> followed on Monday, and businessman Mark Lynch, who lost to Lindsey Graham by nearly 30 points in last month\u2019s GOP\u00a0Senate primary, also announced he\u2019d take another shot at the Republican nomination.<\/p>\n<p>The special Republican Senate primary will be held on Aug. 11. <\/p>\n<p>If no candidate tops 50%, a runoff election will be held among the top two voter-getters on Aug. 25.<\/p>\n<p>Sanford, who served three terms in the U.S. House in the 1990s, won election as\u00a0South Carolina\u00a0governor in 2002 and was re-elected four years later. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has entered the Senate race, joining a crowded GOP primary against Trump-endorsed Darline Graham. <span class=\"credit\">Bonnie Cash\/UPI\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A rising conservative star in the GOP, he grabbed national attention and derailed his political career following an extramarital affair in 2009. <\/p>\n<p>But Sanford made a political comeback, winning election to his old seat in Congress in 2012 and served three terms.<\/p>\n<p>He briefly launched a longshot and unsuccessful presidential nomination challenge against Trump in the 2020 primaries.<\/p>\n<p>Known as a fiscally conservative budget hawk, Sanford pointed to the nation\u2019s debt as a key motivator behind his decision to launch a Senate campaign.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur country is at a financial tipping point, and I can\u2019t sit on the sidelines while Washington adds a trillion dollars to the debt every 100 days,\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkSanford\/status\/2080310786027556980\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sanford explained.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Sanford posted a video in which he said, \u201cWe\u2019re at a tipping point, and that\u2019s why I\u2019ve decided to run for the U.S. Senate.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">Facebook \/ Mark Sanford<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m worried for our children because for the first time, America is borrowing from the future faster than we\u2019re building it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unlike Sanford, Fry and Norman, who are both Trump allies in the House, are highlighting their support for the president.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSouth Carolina doesn\u2019t need just another senator. It needs President Trump\u2019s strongest ally in the United States Senate. Make no mistake: I will be President Trump\u2019s favorite U.S. Senator, and you will have a MAGA fighter you can count on,\u201d Fry wrote in a social media post as he announced his Senate run.<\/p>\n<p>Fry described himself as a \u201cMAGA warrior\u201d in an accompanying video, which included pictures of him smiling alongside Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Norman emphasized that he\u2019s \u201crunning to represent the people of South Carolina in the U.S. Senate because we need a fighter who will stand with President Trump and carry on Lindsey Graham\u2019s legacy!\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Rep. Ralph Norman announced his bid to run for the Senate seat last weekend. <span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And pointing to Trump\u2019s top legislative priority, he noted, \u201cI want to get the SAVE America Act passed in the Senate!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rick Scott of Florida, conservatives and staunch Trump allies in the chamber, both cited Norman\u2019s support for Trump\u2019s election reform bill as they went against the president and endorsed the congressman.<\/p>\n<p>Norman is also being backed by the political arm of the powerful conservative group Turning Point USA.<\/p>\n<p>Norman also landed the backing of Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina. <\/p>\n<p>The endorsement by Mace,\u00a0first reported by Fox News Digital, came after the retiring congresswoman who earlier this year unsuccessfully ran for governor, announced on Monday that she wouldn\u2019t run for the Senate.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Rep. Russell Fry also said he will take another shot at the GOP seat after he lost in last month\u2019s Senate primary by nearly 30 points. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Besides the president\u2019s powerful endorsement, Graham does have the backing of heavy hitters in Congress, including Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who said, \u201cDarline Graham is an excellent senator. She\u2019ll continue to be an excellent senator, and she has my full support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader\u00a0John Thune, R-S.D., however, is staying out of the race for now.<\/p>\n<p>Thune said that Graham is a \u201cstrong candidate,\u201d and though she lacked elected experience, he noted she was \u201cvery accomplished in her own life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe has a right, like everybody else, to get in that race,\u201d Thune said.<\/p>\n<p>Backed by Trump\u2019s endorsement and enjoying plenty of name recognition thanks to her well-known last name, pundits view Darline Graham as a frontrunner in the three-week sprint to the Republican primary.<\/p>\n<p>And the winner of the GOP nomination will be considered the clear favorite against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the general election in the solidly red southeastern state.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s endorsements aren\u2019t infallible, but his track record so far this cycle, albeit a couple of setbacks, is impressive.<\/p>\n<p>Veteran Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams noted that \u201cthe Trump endorsement is a major boost for any candidacy, but it doesn\u2019t necessarily give you a lock on the seat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSenate seats in South Carolina do not come up very often, and politics is all about timing. You\u2019ve got to seize the opportunity when it presents itself,\u201d Williams told Fox News Digital. <\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re an aspiring House member in South Carolina, this is your time to run, regardless of whom the president is supporting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And Williams, referring to Norman and Fry, noted, \u201cThere\u2019s no downside for running. They\u2019re going to run as Trump Republicans, and they\u2019re going to flatter the president on the campaign trail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s likely not the case for Sanford, who didn\u2019t mention Trump in his social media post or his accompanying campaign launch video.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former congressman and former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, a GOP critic of President\u00a0Donald Trump, launched a Senate bid on Thursday as he became the latest high-profile Republican running for the seat of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham and joins a crowded field against Trump\u2019s endorsed candidate. \u201cWe\u2019re at a tipping point, and that\u2019s why&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/donald-trump-endorsement-fails-clear-135314345.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15354\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}