{"id":2295,"date":"2026-06-09T06:03:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T06:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2295"},"modified":"2026-06-09T06:03:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T06:03:39","slug":"south-carolina-republicans-try-to-extend-winning-streak-as-senator-lindsey-graham-seeks-fifth-term","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2295","title":{"rendered":"South Carolina Republicans try to extend winning streak as Senator Lindsey Graham seeks fifth term"},"content":{"rendered":"
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) \u2014 South Carolina voters on Tuesday are aiming to winnow the field in high-profile races for governor and U.S. Senate, with Republicans seeking to maintain a statewide winning streak that stretches back decades.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Follow live updates on the Trump administration<\/a><\/p>\n

Republican contenders have trumpeted their loyalty to President Donald Trump, who has remained popular in the state despite some nationwide wavering as the war with Iran continues. Sen. Lindsey Graham, among Trump\u2019s top allies on Capitol Hill, notched the president\u2019s endorsement before his campaign had even begun.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the governor\u2019s race, Trump backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette over several opponents, including U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace. The primary will determine whether the endorsement can help Evette win outright or if there will be a runoff on June 23.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Democrats are searching for their first victory in a statewide race here in 20 years, but their campaigns for governor and Senate will be an uphill climb.<\/span><\/p>\n

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GOP governor candidates have played largely to Trump<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Competition among Republicans for Trump\u2019s support has seemed more intense than any other facet of the primary campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even before Evette received the president\u2019s endorsement, she frequently featured photos and videos of herself with Trump in campaign materials. She was backed by outgoing Gov. Henry McMaster, a longstanding ally of Trump whose support telegraphed the president\u2019s own.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mace also wanted Trump\u2019s support, and he endorsed her congressional reelection in 2024 even though she criticized his actions of Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rep. Ralph Norman, among the most conservative members of the House and a member of the Freedom Caucus, strongly supported Trump in the president\u2019s first term. But in the 2024 campaign, Norman stumped for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley instead of Trump.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rom Reddy, a coastal businessman who has eschewed campaign donations and self-funded his effort, has touted his lack of political experience as an asset, drawing comparisons between Trump and himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Trump says pilots are fine after US helicopter crashes near Strait of Hormuz<\/a><\/p>\n

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Graham, backed by Trump, hopes to bounce Lynch en route to fifth term<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

South Carolina\u2019s other top contest Tuesday is its Senate race, where Graham is competing for the Republican nomination as he seeks a fifth term. A political confidant and regular golfing partner of the president, Graham has routinely batted back primary challengers over the years. Some of this year\u2019s contenders \u2014 including Project 2025 chief architect Paul Dans and former Lt. Gov. Andr\u00e9 Bauer \u2014 dropped out months ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although their relationship has undulated through the years, Graham has remained close with Trump, who fulfilled the senator\u2019s longstanding wish for direct confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Graham cheered Trump\u2019s decision to strike nuclear sites last year and recently said he often speaks to the president about the ongoing conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among Graham\u2019s primary foes are including Greenville businessman Mark Lynch, who has said Graham isn\u2019t conservative enough to represent the state. Calling himself an \u201cAmerica First\u201d candidate, Lynch has campaigned as a Trump supporter, but on social media the president has called him a \u201clunatic\u201d and a \u201cdisaster for the Republican Party.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Winning statewide in November remains a tall order for SC Democrats<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Democrats haven\u2019t won the governor\u2019s office or a Senate seat in South Carolina for decades.<\/span><\/p>\n

McMaster defeated his opponent by nearly 18 percentage points in 2022. Graham won by 10 points in 2020, defeating Jaime Harrison after the most expensive race in state history.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some Democrats hope to capitalize on dissatisfaction with Trump this year. In the governor\u2019s race, State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, seen as a rising star in the party, is facing several opponents, including political newcomer Billy Webster, a payday loan company founder who lent his campaign $2 million. There\u2019s also attorney Mullins McLeod, who withstood calls from party leaders to shutter his campaign after dashcam video of his 2025 disorderly conduct arrest was released.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Senate race, Charleston physician Annie Andrews \u2014 who unsuccessfully challenged Mace in 2022 \u2014 is vying for the Democratic nomination against Brandon Brown, a funeral homeowner and former House candidate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more GOP primary for open US House seat and Democratic governors race highlight Nevada ballot<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Carolina voters are narrowing down candidates in key races for governor and US Senate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nSouth Carolina Republicans try to extend winning streak as Senator Lindsey Graham seeks fifth term - Boston Relocation Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=2295\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Carolina Republicans try to extend winning streak as Senator Lindsey Graham seeks fifth term - 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