Who wants to unseat SC’s Lindsey Graham from U.S. Senate? See who’s filed

A motivational speaker, a Lowcountry pediatrician, the director of Project 2025 and an Upstate businessman are a few of the candidates running to unseat longtime incumbent U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham this year.

Filing for the 2026 midterm elections in South Carolina closed Monday at noon. Voters will be able to pick their Democratic or Republican parties’ nominees for the U.S. Senate race June 9.

Graham, a senator first elected in 2002, filed to run for a fifth term. Six others will appear on the Republican primary ballot. There are also three Democratic candidates vying to replace Graham.

Candidates had to pay $10,440 to run for a six-year term to the U.S. Senate, the most expensive filing fee in the state. Third-party nominees do not have to pay the filing fee. They are chosen through conventions, rather than primaries.

Here’s who will run for U.S. Senate to represent the Palmetto State in 2026:

Republican candidates

Seven candidates filed to run as Republicans. Candidates are listed alphabetically by last name.

• Calvin Cowen: Cowen has yet to launch a full campaign website. His filing form lists a Spartanburg County address.
• Paul Dans: Dans is an architect of Project 2025, a blueprint to downsize the federal government and implement socially conservative policies. The Lowcountry resident worked in President Donald Trump’s first administration and at the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation.
• Thomas Keith Dismukes: Dismukes is a motivational speaker, according to his social media. His filing form lists a York County address.
• Lindsey Graham: Graham is a longtime incumbent in the U.S. Senate from Pickens County. He’s the Senate Budget Committee chairman and has the endorsements of Trump, Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.
• Pat Herrmann: Herrmann is a business owner from Horry County, according to his campaign website.
• Mark Lynch: Lynch is the president of Jeff Lynch Appliance Center in Greenville. He announced his run last year and loaned the campaign about $5 million.
• Darius L Mitchell: Mitchell listed a Columbia address on his filing form but does not appear to have announced a campaign on social media or on a website.

Democratic candidates

Three candidates filed to run in the Democratic primary.

• Annie Andrews: Andrews is a pediatrician with the most cash in the Democratic primary at the end of 2025. She previously ran unsuccesfully against U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in 2022 for her Lowcountry House seat.
• Brandon Brown: Brown is a business owner in the Upstate. He ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Rep. William Timmons in 2018 for hisHouse seat.
• Kyle Freeman: Freeman is a “logistics professional,” according to his campaign website.

Third party candidates

Two candidates filed to run as Libertarians, and one filed as a member of the Constitution party. The Libertarian party will select their candidate during nominating convention, slated for April 11 in Columbia.

• Jason Brenkus: Brenkus, a Libertarian, has experience as a racing mechanic and a real estate agent, according to his campaign website. He did not list an address on filing forms.
• Mark Hackett: Hackett of Constitution party previously ran for Timmons Upstate U.S. House seat as a third-party candidate in 2024.
• Kasie Whitener: Whitener of the Libertarian party is a writer and clinical assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, according to her campaign website. She lives in Blythewood.