Primary elections for the midterms are less than 130 days away. With this deadline coming up, it is important to make an informed decision on the ballot box by familiarizing yourself with some of the candidates running.
Since Senate terms are staggered, there is currently only one Senate seat up for election this year. The current seat is filled by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) who has held the seat since 2003.
Republican Candidates
Lindsey Graham
Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham has served as the senior senator for South Carolina since 2003 when he succeeded former governor and senator Strom Thurmond (R).
A Pickens County Republican, Graham served in the Air Force from the early 1980s up until 2015, and was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1992 and was elected to the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1995-2003.
Graham currently chairs the Senate Budget Committee and has served on the Judiciary Committee as well.
Graham is a self-described “Reagan-style Republican,” and has distinguished himself a staunch ally of President Donald Trump (R). Trump endorsed Graham on March 26, 2025.
Graham stood besides President Trump during the 2020 election, donating $500,000 to Trump’s election lawsuits in multiple states. Graham voted “not guilty” during Trump’s second impeachment.
According to GovTrack.us, 48% of the bills Graham has sponsored are related to international affairs, 16% are related to Crime and Law Enforcement, 7% are related to Armed Forces and National Security, 7% are related to Health, and 7% are related to education. The most recent bill Graham sponsored is titled, “A bill to amend chapter 93 of title 18, United States Code, to prohibit obstruction of immigration laws by official interference.”
Mark Lynch
Mark Lynch is a Greenville-based businessman who outlined his campaign to unseat incumbent Lindsey Graham.
Lynch served as the president of Jeff Lynch Appliance and TV Center, a family-owned electronic and furniture store located in Greenville.
Lynch has dipped his toes into political waters before, running as a Republican in the 2020 South Carolina State Senate elections. Lynch came about 900 votes short of securing his primary nomination for Senate District, losing to Scott Talley.
Lynch officially filed with the Federal Election Commission on Feb. 3, 2025. He cited motivations to unseat incumbent Lindsey Graham on the basis that Graham had, “betrayed South Carolinians.”
He cited his connections to business as a similarity between him and Donald Trump, and emphasized his stances as pro-life, pro-Christianity while claiming Islam is unprotected under the First Amendment, and making comments against Muslim members of Congress. Lynch has stated he is a staunch supporter of President Trump.
Paul Dans
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Paul Dans attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Virginia before spending several years as a lawyer.
Dans supported Trump for president as early as 2011, and would later join Trump’s official staff during his first term.
Dans is most known for his role in developing the Heritage Foundation’s 2025 Presidential Transition Project, colloquially known as “Project 2025,” a right-wing political initiative launched in 2023 with the goal of reshaping the federal government by consolidating power towards the executive branch.
The document was published in 2023 and outlines key plans such as cuts to abortion access, sweeping deportation and immigration reform, and other cuts to civil rights and liberties.
Paul Dans launched his campaign in opposition to Lindsey Graham, stating that Sen. Graham (R) had “left the state 32 years ago and moved to Washington.”
Dans’ platform includes implementing a shop program in every SC school starting in eighth grade, codifying health changes done by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (R), and cracking down on crime in South Carolina.
Ethan Holliman
Little is known about grassroots candidate Ethan Clay Holliman. With no campaign website, Holliman has not published his official platform or stances. The Federal Election commission shows he has raised roughly $300 in campaign donations.
Holliman’s answers to a Ballotpedia survey indicate that he is a self-reported Populist Republican, running to Cancel the “Cult of Credentialism.” Little else is known about Holliman as he has yet to launch any formal campaign platform.
