2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina
The 2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of South Carolina. Primary elections will be held on June 9, 2026, with a runoff election on June 23 if no candidate wins a majority in their respective primary. Incumbent four-term Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who was re-elected in (/wiki/2020UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina), is running for a fifth term in office.
Article
2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina
The 2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of South Carolina. Primary elections will be held on June 9, 2026, with a runoff election on June 23 if no candidate wins a majority in their respective primary. Incumbent four-term Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who was re-elected in (/wiki/2020UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina), is running for a fifth term in office.
Background
2026 United States Senate election in South Carolina
South Carolina is generally considered to be a Republican stronghold, having not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since (/wiki/1998UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina). Republican nominee Donald Trump won South Carolina in (/wiki/2020UnitedStatespresidentialelectioninSouthCarolina) by 12 percentage points, and in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatespresidentialelectioninSouthCarolina) grew his margin to 18 percentage points. Republicans control every statewide office (except the state's comptroller office), supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature, both U.S. Senate seats, and all but one seat in South Carolina's U.S. House congressional delegation.
Senator Lindsey Graham was first elected in (/wiki/2002UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina), defeating Democrat Alex Sanders by about 10 percentage points. He was re-elected in (/wiki/2008UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina), (/wiki/2014UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina), and most recently in (/wiki/2020UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina) defeating Jaime Harrison by 10 percentage points in what was expected to be a dead heat. In January 2025, he declared that he was running for reelection.
Republican primary
Declared
• Calvin Cowen, Duncan councilmember • Paul Dans, former Office of Personnel Management chief of staff (2020) and Project 2025 author • Thomas Dismukes, motivational speaker • Lindsey Graham, incumbent U.S. Senator (2003–present) • Patrick Herrmann, Horry County Republican Party Executive Committeeman • Mark Lynch, appliance repair executive • Darius L. Mitchell, hip hop artist
Withdrawn
• André Bauer, former Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (2003–2011), candidate for governor in (/wiki/2010SouthCarolinagubernatorialelection), and candidate for South Carolina's 7th congressional district in (/wiki/UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinSouthCarolina,2012#District7) • Ethan Holliman, graduate student
Declined
• Ralph Norman, U.S. Representative from South Carolina's 5th congressional district (2017–present) (running for governor) • Mark Sanford, former Governor of South Carolina (2003–2011), U.S. Representative from South Carolina's 1st congressional district (1995–2001, 2013–2019), and candidate for president in (/wiki/2020UnitedStatespresidentialelection) (running for U.S. House)
Fundraising
<table><thead><tr><th>Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Candidate</td><td>Raised</td><td>Spent</td><td>Cash on hand</td></tr><tr><td>Lindsey Graham (R)</td><td>$19,638,470</td><td>$18,722,190</td><td>$13,407,737</td></tr><tr><td>Ethan Holliman (R)</td><td>$20,270</td><td>$20,270</td><td>$0</td></tr><tr><td>Mark Lynch (R)</td><td>$5,573,433</td><td>$999,022</td><td>$4,574,411</td></tr><tr><td>Paul Dans (R)</td><td>$628,955</td><td>$325,218</td><td>$303,738</td></tr><tr><td>Source: Federal Election Commission</td></tr></tbody></table>
Polling
<table><thead><tr><th>Poll source</th><th>Date(s) administered</th><th>Sample size</th><th>Margin of error</th><th>Paul Dans</th><th>Lindsey Graham</th><th>Mark Lynch</th><th>Other</th><th>Undecided</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Quantus Insights (R)</td><td>October 1–4, 2025</td><td>600 (RV)</td><td>± 4.2%</td><td>7%</td><td>58%</td><td>15%</td><td>–</td><td>20%</td></tr><tr><td>6%</td><td>51%</td><td>11%</td><td>–</td><td>32%</td></tr><tr><td>Big Data Poll (R)</td><td>September 26–29, 2025</td><td>827 (RV)</td><td>± 3.5%</td><td>22%</td><td>46%</td><td>4%</td><td>–</td><td>28%</td></tr><tr><td>Quantus Insights (R)</td><td>June 10–13, 2025</td><td>600 (RV)</td><td>± 3.8%</td><td>–</td><td>48%</td><td>23%</td><td>–</td><td>29%</td></tr><tr><td>Big Data Poll (R)</td><td>June 8–11, 2025</td><td>– (V)</td><td>± 3.5%</td><td>9%</td><td>50%</td><td>11%</td><td>–</td><td>30%</td></tr><tr><td>Pulse Opinion Research (R)</td><td>May 15–21, 2025</td><td>1,062 (LV)</td><td>–</td><td>–</td><td>43%</td><td>29%</td><td>5%</td><td>23%</td></tr></tbody></table>
Democratic primary
Declared
• Annie Andrews, pediatrician and nominee for South Carolina's 1st congressional district in (/wiki/2022UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinSouthCarolina#District1) • Brandon Brown, former senior vice president of institutional advancement at Paine College and nominee for South Carolina's 4th congressional district in (/wiki/2004UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinSouthCarolina#District4) and (/wiki/2018UnitedStatesHouseofRepresentativeselectionsinSouthCarolina#District4) • Kyle Freeman, logistics professional
• Catherine Fleming Bruce, author and candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2022UnitedStatesSenateelectioninSouthCarolina) • Christopher Giracello, realtor
Fundraising
<table><thead><tr><th>Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Candidate</td><td>Raised</td><td>Spent</td><td>Cash on hand</td></tr><tr><td>Annie Andrews (D)</td><td>$4,306,090</td><td>$2,725,152</td><td>$1,580,938</td></tr><tr><td>Catherine Fleming Bruce (D)</td><td>$0</td><td>$0</td><td>$5,030</td></tr><tr><td>Kyle Freeman (D)</td><td>$34,491</td><td>$33,837</td><td>$654</td></tr><tr><td>Brandon Brown (D)</td><td>$8,490</td><td>$0</td><td>$0</td></tr><tr><td>Christopher Giracello (D)</td><td>$0</td><td>$0</td><td>$0</td></tr><tr><td>Source: Federal Election Commission</td></tr></tbody></table>
Libertarian primary
Declared
• Jason Brenkus, motivational speaker • Kasie Whitener, chair of the South Carolina Libertarian Party State Committee
Independents
Filed paperwork
• Don Louis, retired CEO • Reece Wright-McDonald, perennial candidate
• Jack Ellison (ran as a Republican candidate for South Carolina's 1st congressional district)
General election
Predictions
<table><thead><tr><th>Source</th><th>Ranking</th><th>As of</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Inside Elections</td><td>Solid R</td><td>August 12, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>The Cook Political Report</td><td>Solid R</td><td>October 14, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Sabato's Crystal Ball</td><td>Safe R</td><td>August 12, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Race to the WH</td><td>Likely R</td><td>September 4, 2025</td></tr></tbody></table>
Polling
<table><thead><tr><th>Poll source</th><th>Date(s) administered</th><th>Sample size</th><th>Margin of error</th><th>Lindsey Graham (R)</th><th>Annie Andrews (D)</th><th>Undecided</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Impact Research (D)</td><td>February 25 – March 1, 2026</td><td>700 (LV)</td><td>± 3.7%</td><td>47%</td><td>42%</td><td>11%</td></tr><tr><td>Public Policy Polling (D)</td><td>November 21–22, 2025</td><td>704 (V)</td><td>± 3.7%</td><td>42%</td><td>36%</td><td>22%</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table><thead><tr><th>Poll source</th><th>Date(s) administered</th><th>Sample size</th><th>Margin of error</th><th>Lindsey Graham (R)</th><th>Generic Democrat</th><th>Undecided</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Public Policy Polling (D)</td><td>November 21–22, 2025</td><td>704 (V)</td><td>± 3.7%</td><td>41%</td><td>39%</td><td>20%</td></tr></tbody></table>