Mark Sanford Enters South Carolina Senate Race

Former governor and U.S. representative Mark Sanford, 66, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to replace the late Senator Lindsey Graham. Sanford filed a Senate campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission last week, and the filing deadline is July 28.

Bloomberg Government

Senator Graham’s unexpected death triggered a special Republican primary slated for August, with a runoff later that month if no candidate secures a majority. The late senator’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham (R), was appointed on July 13 and is also running, backed by President Donald Trump. Other declared Republicans include Representatives Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, as well as businessman Mark Lynch, who previously lost to Graham 57%-29% in the June primary.

Bloomberg Government

Sanford previously served South Carolina’s coastal 1st District in the House (1995-2001) and as governor (2003-2011), a tenure marked by a publicized extramarital affair. He returned to the House after a 2013 special election and lost a 2018 Republican primary to a Trump-aligned challenger. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in the November election. Democrats require a net gain of four Senate seats, including at least two in states that supported former President Trump by double-digit margins, to claim a majority.

Bloomberg Government

He positioned himself as a deficit hawk, emphasizing the need for reduced government spending.

Bloomberg Government

• “For the first time, America is borrowing from the future faster than we’re building it,” — Carolina Republican Mark Sanford

Bloomberg Government