Sen. Lindsey Graham Wins South Carolina GOP Primary
Senator Lindsey Graham won South Carolina's Republican primary with 59.3 percent of the vote, defeating challenger Mark Lynch and advancing to face Democrat Annie Andrews in November.
According to Breitbart News, Graham captured 106,164 votes, representing 59.3 percent of the total with 35 percent of precincts reporting. His opponent Mark Lynch received 48,171 votes, or 26.9 percent, based on Associated Press tallies.
The South Carolina Republican will now advance to the general election in November, where he will face Democrat Annie Andrews, who defeated challengers Brandon P. Brown and Kyle Freeman in the Democratic primary.
Graham’s primary victory comes after receiving crucial support from President Donald Trump, who issued his endorsement on Thursday ahead of the Tuesday vote. Trump urged South Carolina Republicans to back Graham and thanked the senator for advancing the SAVE AMERICA Act for a vote.
Trump had previously endorsed Graham in April, when he described Lynch as someone who supports Representative Thomas Massie.
The commanding victory margin represents a significant turnaround from March polling that showed Graham in more precarious territory. An InsiderAdvantage poll conducted May 13-14 showed Graham with 56 percent support among likely Republican primary voters, while Lynch stood at 13 percent.
However, earlier internal polling provided to Breitbart News in March had indicated a much tighter race, with Graham registering just 41 percent support on an initial ballot compared to Lynch’s 21 percent. A third candidate, Paul Dans, polled at 11 percent at that time, with 22 percent of voters undecided.
Matthew Boyle, Washington Bureau Chief at Breitbart News, reported the March polling data showed Graham well below the 50 percent threshold typically considered safe for an incumbent, suggesting potential vulnerability in the solidly pro-Trump primary.
On primary day, Graham took to social media platform X to rally supporters, emphasizing his alliance with President Trump and urging South Carolina residents to cast their ballots before polls closed at 7:00 PM.
The senator touted Trump’s complete and total endorsement and pledged to continue delivering results for South Carolina voters alongside the former president.
With information from Breitbart News
