COLUMBIA, S.C. — Businessman Mark Lynch did what few others considered doing -- taking on late Sen. Lindsey Graham. He took nearly 30% of the vote last month and won Greenville and Spartanburg counties.
[ READ MORE: Darline Graham shakes up race for Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat ]
Just weeks after Lindsey Graham bested him in the South Carolina Senate primary, Lynch is running for the seat again.
“We’re finishing the race God called us to over two years ago, and we have an obligation with this,” he said.
The primary is more crowded now than in June. He will be taking on a field that includes Congressmen Ralph Norman and Russell Fry and Lindsey Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham.
Lynch says Sen. Graham’s positions are undefined. He holds Ralph Norman responsible for the Silfab Solar controversy, saying he didn’t do enough to help families. He also says Fry risks giving the speaker’s gavel to Democrats since he will have to resign from the House if he wins the U.S. Senate race. His replacement election wouldn’t be until May.
“These are career politicians and South Carolinian citizens are sick of that,” he said. “All the problems that we have that they’re now raising in their platforms and talking about, why didn’t they do anything against these problems while they were in position serving in the seats they held?”
Lynch says he offers South Carolina a new perspective.
“They talk a good game during an election season, but they’ve had years to fix these problems,” he said. “When I get in, I’ll deal with them and clean them up and actually do something about them.”
Of the counties in our viewing area, Lynch performed best in York County.
If no Republican earns 50% of the vote on Aug. 11, there will be a runoff between the top two finishers two weeks later.
August Senate debate
The South Carolina Republican Party will host a U.S. Senate debate at the beginning of August.
Republican voters in South Carolina will hear directly from the candidates seeking to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The debate is scheduled to be from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 3.
Early voting begins for the special Republican primary on August 5.
Election Day is on Aug. 11.