Graham Wins Fifth Senate Term Bid In South Carolina GOP Primary

Why It Matters

Sen. Lindsey Graham won the South Carolina GOP primary on June 9, clearing a five-candidate field with roughly 59 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff and advance to the general election as he seeks a fifth Senate term. The most significant challenge came from businessman Mark Lynch, who ran on an "America First" platform and argued Graham had drifted from the MAGA movement, particularly on Iran policy. Lynch finished with approximately 27 percent of the vote.

The Race

The Challenge Graham Faced

Lynch's campaign framed the Lindsey Graham 2026 Senate primary as a question of authenticity within the Republican Party, arguing that Graham's foreign policy positions, particularly on Iran, put him at odds with the America First movement. Lynch's spokesperson Noel Fritsch said pushing Graham into a runoff would be "a huge shock to the system" in South Carolina, given how easily Graham had won past primaries.

Lynch declined to make himself available for press interviews in the final stretch of the campaign, according to Politico's pre-election background piece on the race.

Graham, for his part, leaned into his relationship with President Trump throughout the South Carolina GOP primary 2026 campaign. One Graham ad stated: "President Trump delivered on his promise to close the border with Graham's help. He's there for South Carolina, delivering for President Trump."

The Spending

Graham and his allies spent heavily to ensure a first-round win and avoid the uncertainty of a June 23 runoff. According to The State, Graham spent more than $28.7 million ahead of the primary. NBC News, citing AdImpact data, reported Graham's campaign alone spent more than $13 million on advertising. The New York Times reported that Graham and his allies combined spent more than $15 million on advertising.

Tyson Grinstead, chair of the Richland County GOP and a former Graham campaign adviser, told Politico: "You might as well make sure you've got all the i's dotted and all the t's crossed to make sure that you win without a runoff. For Lindsey, I think it's not outside the norm, especially in Lindsey dollars."

Lynch was described by NBC News as a "wealthy challenger," underscoring that the financial competition was real, even if the outcome was not particularly close.

The Political Stakes

The Trump Endorsement

The Trump endorsement for Lindsey Graham was a defining feature of the South Carolina Senate election. Trump originally backed Graham in March 2025 and reaffirmed that endorsement multiple times in the days leading up to the primary.

On June 5, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Lindsey Graham has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election. Election Day is Tuesday, June 9th. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR LINDSEY - HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"

On the eve of the primary, Trump posted again: "This Tuesday, June 9th, all Republicans in South Carolina should vote for Lindsey Graham - HE HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT, AND WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN."

Trump also acknowledged the potential risk of the race, saying: "We don't want any surprises, we don't want any bad things to happen. Elections, you never know, so we have to be very careful."

After the race was called, Trump posted a congratulatory message: "Congratulations to Senator Lindsey Graham of the Great State of South Carolina on his BIG WIN tonight. With almost 60% of the vote against a large field of very capable candidates, there will be no runoff."

Beyond Trump, Graham also secured endorsements from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Tim Scott.

The Bottom Line

Coverage of the Lindsey Graham South Carolina primary win was consistent across outlets. NBC News described Lynch as a "wealthy challenger" and provided the $13 million ad-spend figure sourced to AdImpact, while the New York Times put the combined spending by Graham and his allies at more than $15 million and described Graham as "a key ally of President Trump."

Breitbart provided the most granular early vote totals, reporting Graham at 59.3 percent and Lynch at 26.9 percent with 35 percent of the vote in, and directly named Lynch as the primary opponent without using the "America First" framing.

The Greenville Online offered the most detailed breakdown of the full candidate field, reporting that Lynch received 133,931 votes, followed by Thomas Dismukes with 24,029, Pat Herrmann with 17,376, Calvin Cowen with 14,127, and Darius Mitchell with 10,793.

That outlet also confirmed that Democrat Annie Andrews won her party's primary, setting up the November general election matchup.

Newsweek noted that analysts consider South Carolina a heavy Republican lean heading into the fall.

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