Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is running an attention-grabbing trick from his old playbook during the breakneck race to win the Republican primary for the Senate seat now held by Sen. Darline Graham.
Twenty-two years ago, Sanford carried two piglets named “Pork” and “Barrel” into the state’s House chamber lobby to protest the House’s version of the state budget. (After lawmakers scolded him, the Finance Committee did find a way to cut spending.) He's going to repeat this move Thursday at 10 a.m., this time to focus voters on wasteful spending at the national level.
His campaign sent out a press release announcing a press conference, complete with porcine guests. Sanford said he wanted to illustrate today’s national affordability crisis.
“Just as the legislature was then attempting to kick the can down the road on deficits and spending, so too is Washington today,” Sanford said. “Accordingly, we need folks in D.C. who will not only vote right but dig in their heels by resisting Washington’s unending appetite for more of what we earn and more of what our children might earn. It strikes me that my parents’ generation left us a better America than the one they inherited, and the least we can do is give to our children more than a gift of indebtedness and a less affordable shot at the American dream.”
🔴#SCSuccession
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) August 5, 2026
Tomorrow, @MarkSanford is bringing pigs back to S.C. State House as part of his bid for U.S. Senate.
This entire campaign is recycled…. pic.twitter.com/JNKrKybgJR
More poll numbers
Besides the Emerson poll, which had Norman ahead, the Trafalgar Group conducted a poll July 28-30 with 989 respondents and a 2.9% margin of error. This poll showed Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) ahead with 27%, Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) tied with 17.4% each, Sanford at 15.1%, and Mark Lynch at 8.1%. The rest of the 10 candidates were polling at 1% or lower. Undecided came in at 12.4%.
Co/efficient polled 837 likely Republican primary voters in the same time period, with a margin of error of 3.3%. The results were in the same order as Trafalgar, with slightly different numbers: Graham at 30%, Fry at 16%, Norman at 15%, Sanford at 9% and Lynch at 6%. Undecided was 20% in this poll.
The one sure thing: There will be a runoff on Aug. 25.
Who is the most conservative?
Several readers posed that question in the comments. The answer depends on what brand of conservative you're looking for. All of them have said in debates that we must pass the SAVE Act and promote border security. Graham is unproven, though she has co-sponsored the SAVE Act. Quite a few South Carolinians I've talked to share the same concerns about legacy politicians that our Matt Margolis mentioned. Sanford is taking the fiscal prudence lane (as evidenced above). For all his baggage, he has a track record of trimming budget fat. Fry has a record in the state legislature, when he was House whip, of voting to raise S.C. gas taxes by 12 cents a gallon, which leads one S.C. commentator to wonder whether he'll truly be as frugal as he says.
As for Norman, he’s spent over nine years in Congress and is part of the Freedom Caucus. Lynch has never held office, but leans heavily on his testimony of turning his life around after becoming a Christian during his campaigns, and speaks of restoring Biblical values to the nation.
Editor's Note: The Democrats are doing everything in their power to undermine the integrity of our elections.
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