Former Gov. Mark Sanford Backs Ralph Norman in High-Stakes South Carolina Senate Runoff

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has thrown his support behind Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina’s closely watched Republican U.S. Senate runoff, giving the House Freedom Caucus member a significant endorsement just days before voters decide the race.

Sanford, who finished fourth in the August 11 special Republican primary with roughly 15 percent of the vote, announced Friday that he will vote for Norman in Tuesday’s runoff against interim Sen. Darline Graham Nordone.

The endorsement puts a former two-term Republican governor behind one of the most conservative members of South Carolina’s congressional delegation at a critical point in the campaign.

Norman finished second in the initial primary with approximately 23.5 percent of the vote, while Graham Nordone led the field with roughly 33 percent. Because no candidate received a majority, the two advanced to the August 25 runoff.

Sanford said he generally avoids political endorsements and acknowledged his personal ties to Graham Nordone and her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. But he said concerns about federal spending, deficits and the national debt ultimately convinced him to get involved.

“And all of this brings me to a binary choice, not only on the bigger question of less government and more freedom, but on who do I believe holds the best shot at holding the line on government spending, our debt and its accompanying deficits?” Sanford wrote.

The former governor pointed specifically to the federal debt surpassing $40 trillion, calling the situation a national “financial tipping point.”

“It’s for these reasons and more that I will be voting for Ralph on Tuesday and respectfully ask that you do the same,” Sanford concluded.

Norman welcomed the endorsement, highlighting Sanford’s longstanding focus on fiscal restraint.

Norman has represented South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District since 2017 and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, where he has frequently pushed for spending cuts and confronted Republican leadership over federal spending.

Sanford’s endorsement adds another prominent conservative voice to Norman’s campaign as the congressman attempts to overcome Graham Nordone’s first-round advantage.

Former Senate candidate Mark Lynch has also endorsed Norman, while Sanford’s son, Landon Sanford, previously announced his support for the congressman.

No major public polling has yet established where the two candidates stand heading into Tuesday’s runoff.

Norman entered the runoff as the underdog after trailing Graham Nordone by nearly ten points in the first round, but Sanford’s endorsement gives the Freedom Caucus member another boost as Republicans prepare to make their final choice on August 25.