Sen. Lindsey Graham has won his Republican primary in South Carolina, NBC News projects, after he spent millions to secure the nomination.
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Graham faced multiple primary challengers Tuesday, but the biggest threat came from self-funding businessman Mark Lynch, who lent his campaign $5 million. Graham’s campaign spent more than $13 million on ads, according to AdImpact, as he battled Lynch for the GOP nod.
Graham, who is in his fourth term, got a boost from President Donald Trump, who endorsed him last year, and he touted his record and his work with Trump in the primary. In one campaign ad, a narrator says Trump “delivered on his promise to close the border” with Graham’s help, adding that Graham is “there for South Carolina, delivering for President Trump.”
Trump also recently slammed Lynch as a “lunatic,” criticizing his support for GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, which Graham highlighted on the airwaves. The Graham campaign also attacked Lynch for past arrests on charges related to cocaine and driving under the influence. Lynch has said he sought treatment and “got clean and sober.”
Lynch argued that Graham has been in office for too long, saying the state was “done with attorneys and career politicians,” and he highlighted Graham’s past clashes with Trump. One ad from the Lynch campaign was solely video of Trump slamming Graham back in 2016.
Graham and Trump’s relationship has evolved since then, and Graham has become a close ally and frequent golf partner of the president’s.
Graham had been facing another high-profile challenger this year: Paul Dans, an architect of the conservative policy blueprint known as Project 2025. But Dans ended his campaign in mid-April and endorsed Lynch.
Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, won the Democratic primary, NBC News projects, after having led the Democratic field in fundraising. Andrews was already on the airwaves, slamming Graham as a “warmonger” and a “swamp creature.”
Democrats face an uphill climb to win in South Carolina, which Trump carried by 18 percentage points in 2018. Graham is also familiar with hotly contested races. His 2020 race featuring Democratic opponent Jaime Harrison generated more than $280 million in spending, and Graham went on to win by 10 points.
