Paul Dans, the onetime director of Project 2025, will challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in 2026, adding his name to what could be a crowded Republican primary for Senate.
Dans, who worked for the Heritage Foundation after a stint in the first Trump administration, soft-launched his Senate campaign on Monday, interviewing with multiple news outlets to announce his candidacy. According to the Associated Press, he will attend a prayer breakfast on Wednesday in Charleston, South Carolina, followed by a kickoff event.
Dans, a newcomer to political campaigns, stepped down from the Heritage Foundation last year as the Trump campaign sought to distance itself from Project 2025, a blueprint to overhaul the federal government. Since then, President Donald Trump has adopted elements of the plan while ignoring other recommendations.
Graham, now seeking his fifth term in the Senate, has repeatedly overcome primary threats and has moved to consolidate party backing early in the 2026 cycle. He not only locked down an endorsement from Trump in March but also has a hefty war chest and strong institutional support in South Carolina.
Soon after announcing his candidacy, Graham tapped Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) to chair his campaign.
At least two other Republicans will challenge Graham: Andre Bauer, the former lieutenant governor of South Carolina, and businessman Mark Lynch.
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On the Democratic side, Annie Andrews announced she would challenge Graham in May after an unsuccessful run for Rep. Nancy Mace’s (R-SC) seat in 2022.
Dans’s campaign announcement comes the same day former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper announced he would run for retiring Sen. Thom Tillis’s (R-NC) seat in North Carolina and Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) launched a Senate run in Georgia.