Lindsey Graham is on track to spend over $40 million to keep his seat — 87% of it from outside South Carolina. When elections cost this much, the people who pay for them own the result. That has to end.
Lindsey Graham is on track to spend over $40 million to keep his seat — 87% of it from outside South Carolina. When elections cost this much, the people who pay for them own the result. That has to end.
The recent Democratic Senate primary spending surpassed $100 million. Lindsey Graham had over $20 million before his campaign and is expected to raise more than $40 million before Election Day, with 87% coming from outside South Carolina. He receives significant support from billionaires and defense contractors. What do you think he's trading that support for?
He will spend this money on massive visibility online, on television, and in print. They pay people to go door-to-door. They pay to spam your inbox or phone with messages. US elections are being bought. I am not accepting any donations and will owe no favors to anyone.
Here's a solution: laws should ban PACs and all dark money groups. Voters often have no idea who is behind the "paid for by" labels. Congress should limit campaign spending to prevent election buying. Over the past 20 years, the race has become about who can spend the most and be the most aggressive.
When 87% of a senator's war chest comes from outside the state, the people of South Carolina are no longer the customer — they're the product. Out-of-state billionaires, defense contractors, and corporate PACs write the checks, and the senator delivers the votes. That is not representation. That is a transaction, and South Carolinians are paying the bill in policy after policy that never reflected their priorities.
The solution starts with sunlight and ends with limits. Every dollar should be traceable to a real human donor, with PACs, super PACs, and dark-money 501(c)(4) groups banned from federal campaigns. Spending caps should apply to every Senate race so the contest is decided by ideas, not ad budgets. Don is running with no donations of any kind — no PACs, no billionaires, no favors owed. The only people he answers to are the voters of South Carolina.
By Don Louis · Published 2026-04-07