Mark Sanford threw his name in the ring to take on late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sister for the South Carolina Senate seat in defiance of Donald Trump. We’re at a tipping point, and that’s why I’ve decided to run for the U.S. Senate,” Sanford said in his campaign launch video. Sanford has had a wild run in politics, first serving as a congressman from 1995 to 2001 before being elected governor. and Rep. Mark Sanford, pictured in 2019, launched a bid for the South Carolina Senate seat. Sen. Darline Graham arrives for a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on July 23, 2026.