Mark Sanford, who previously served as both a congressman and the governor of South Carolina, endorsed Rep. Ralph Norman in the Republican primary for the state’s U.S. Senate seat.
Sanford, a Republican, is putting himself again at odds with the president, who endorsed Darline Graham, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister who is currently serving out the rest of his term. Sanford also ran to replace Graham but received just 14.9% of the vote in the Republican primary, which failed to qualify him for the runoff between Graham and Norman.
His endorsement marks another tough moment for Darline Graham, whose campaign faced a setback this week after she failed to answer a debate question about Taiwan and the South China Sea. “National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military,” she said, prompting critics to call her “unprepared” to fill her brother’s shoes.
Sanford, however, said the ballooning national debt was the main reason he chose to get off the sidelines and endorse.
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“As much as I would like to honor tradition and old friendships, the stakes are simply too high as our nation really is at a financial tipping point,” Sanford wrote on X. “It’s for these reasons and more that I will be voting for Ralph on Tuesday and respectfully ask that you do the same.”
In his lengthy social media post, Sanford did offer his condolences to Graham for the passing of her brother. But ultimately, he lauded Norman for his commitment to reducing government spending.
Norman quickly accepted the endorsement from Sanford and touted his nine years of experience in Congress — distinguishing himself from Graham, a political newcomer.
“I am honored to have the support of former Governor @MarkSanford in this fight to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate,” Norman wrote on X. “I’m the only candidate in this race with the experience and the resume to take on this job, and I look forward to representing the Palmetto State in the United States Senate!”
Sanford’s endorsement comes just hours before President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally for Graham in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
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