Former Lt. Gov. André Bauer drops out of SC Senate race to slim field

Former Lt. Gov. André Bauer has suspended his campaign for the U.S. Senate.

“I cannot and will not be part of a political climate that rewards deception over honesty, or ambition over unity,” Bauer wrote in a social media post Friday afternoon. Bauer’s campaign lasted just longer than one month.

Bauer sought to unseat longtime incumbent U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who Bauer argued was not conservative enough to represent South Carolina. Graham, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, has fended off primary competitors since his initial election in 2002.

The GOP primary field is now Project 2025 architect Paul Dans, Graham and Greenville businessman Mark Lynch. Democratic hopefuls include Annie Andrews, Brandon Brown, Kyle Freeman and Catherine Fleming Bruce.

The former lieutenant governor called for readers of the post to “stop tearing one another down with lies and division.” Dans commended “his call for unity” in a statement Friday.