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South Carolina’s Republican Congressman Ralph Norman has once again suggested his interest in running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Lindsey Graham in the 2026 election.
According to Newsweek, Norman, a member of the influential House Freedom Caucus, is contemplating a bid for South Carolina’s Senate seat while leveling accusations against Graham, whom he characterizes as leaning towards liberal positions. Graham, considered a relative moderate within the GOP, has faced previous challenges from lesser-known candidates in his own party for his Senate seat.
Norman’s potential candidacy could pose a substantial challenge to Graham, highlighting the growing influence of hardline and far-right factions within the Republican Party.
In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, Norman responded affirmatively when asked about the possibility of running against Graham in 2026. While he expressed personal affinity for Lindsey Graham, he criticized the senator’s policy positions, noting Graham’s apparent shift from conservative to more liberal stances during his Senate terms.
Norman emphasized that he has not made a final decision regarding the challenge to Graham, recognizing that the political landscape can change significantly in the lead-up to the 2026 race.
In response to Norman’s remarks, Senator Graham indicated that his current focus is on the upcoming 2024 elections, with an aim to maintain Republican control of the House, gain seats in the Senate, and secure the White House for the GOP.
When questioned about Norman’s potential challenge, a spokesperson for Graham’s office declined to provide additional comments beyond the senator’s focus on the 2024 elections.
Norman had previously hinted at the possibility of challenging Graham for the South Carolina Senate seat in a mid-September interview with Axios, stating that he was considering it but not expected to make a decision in the near future.
Norman’s critique of Graham highlighted the senator’s dual imageāone as a conservative advocate for confirming judges during his tenure on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the other as a critic of Graham’s support for a government funding bill in December 2022, just before Republicans regained control of the House. Norman accused Graham of effectively delaying fiscal decisions until the following September, which he found problematic.
Furthermore, in an interview with Fox News Digital on September 12, Norman expressed his weariness with Graham, emphasizing that while the 2026 election may seem distant in the world of politics, he believed it was time for a change, particularly regarding spending issues.