Bauer, South Carolina's former lieutenant governor, ends GOP primary challenge to Sen. Graham
In posts on social media, Bauer wrote Friday that he had decided to shutter his campaign 'after deep prayer and reflection,' saying he believed 'we must stop tearing one another down with lies and division.' He stopped short of endorsing any of the remaining candidates in the race to challenge Graham, who already has backing from President Donald Trump .
In a statement, Graham said he wished Bauer well. Graham campaign spokesperson Abby Zilch called it 'abundantly clear' that South Carolina stood behind reelecting the incumbent.
Bauer, a wealthy developer and longtime Trump backer, launched his effort 38 days ago, arguing that Graham isn't conservative enough to represent South Carolina. In a pre-launch interview with The Associated Press , Bauer described himself as 'a real, America First conservative' intent on representing what he sees as South Carolina conservatives' true values, and he said 'Graham's been there too long, and he votes like it.'
Republicans dominate South Carolina's statewide-elected positions, meaning that the most intense political competition takes place in GOP primaries. Official filing for the June primary doesn't open until March.
Graham — whose relationship with Trump has undulated through the years — has faced previous primary challenges from the right, with opponents accusing him of kowtowing to Democrats on issues from immigration to climate change.
But Graham also hews to Republican priorities on national security. Ahead of the U.S. strike on Iranian facilities in June, Graham called for Trump to 'go all-in' in backing Israel and destroying Iran's nuclear program.
For this cycle, Graham kicked off his reelection campaign in February and quickly secured Trump's endorsement, and Chris LaCivita, a co-campaign manager of Trump's 2024 bid, is serving as a senior adviser.
Bauer has backed Trump since before his win in South Carolina's 2016 GOP primary. At his 2024 campaign's South Carolina launch event, Trump called Bauer, who served on his state leadership committee, 'a friend of mine, somebody that could, I think, run for almost any office and win.'
Bauer served in the South Carolina legislature before, at age 33, he was elected the youngest lieutenant governor in the country in 2002. After two terms, he mounted an unsuccessful 2010 gubernatorial bid, finishing last in a four-way GOP primary ultimately won by Nikki Haley.
Two years later, Bauer ran for Congress, losing a GOP runoff to eventual Rep. Tom Rice in South Carolina's newly created 7th District.
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Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP .
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