Sen. Lindsey Graham won the South Carolina GOP primary on June 9, 2026, securing his party’s nomination for a fifth Senate term while avoiding a runoff by winning more than 50% of the vote.
Graham defeated five Republican challengers, including businessman Mark Lynch, who had drawn support from prominent Trump critics over the senator’s staunch backing of the Iran war. The four-term incumbent and his allies spent more than $18 million on television and digital ads in the final weeks of the campaign, according to Politico, combining resources to ensure Graham cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a two-week runoff.
Graham received a last-minute boost from President Donald Trump, who reaffirmed his support in a telerally on the eve of the primary. Trump had endorsed Graham early, cementing the senator’s position as a top presidential ally despite occasional friction between the two. The endorsement and spending proved decisive against Lynch’s “America First” challenge, which had drawn backing from former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, and former counterterrorism official Joe Kent.
On the Democratic side, Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, won her party’s primary outright, avoiding a runoff as well. Andrews will face Graham in November, though South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 2005, when longtime Sen. Fritz Hollings retired.
Graham’s win marked a significant test of his standing in a state where his promotion of military intervention in Iran had become a political liability. A March 2026 poll showed 61% of voters viewed him unfavorably, according to ABC News 4, yet his financial advantage and Trump’s backing proved sufficient to hold off the primary challenge.
Sources
- Politico — confirmed Graham won more than 50% to avoid runoff, detailed spending of $18 million, and described Lynch’s “America First” challenge with support from Trump critics
- NBC News — reported Graham’s primary win and his five challengers
- The New York Times — confirmed Graham as four-term incumbent favored in general election
- CBS News — confirmed Annie Andrews won the Democratic primary
- EMILYs List — confirmed Andrews’ decisive primary victory
- The Hill — reported both Andrews and Graham won outright to avoid June 23 runoff
