I continue to seek a candidate that I can vote for and not against. People ask me who I favor in the upcoming election. I am still looking for candidates that share my desire for Congressional and Supreme Court term limits, eliminating PAC money from elections and letting voters know who is donating to who, putting controls in place that stop politicians from getting rich in office, offering wellness visits and drugs at no charge while holding citizens accountable for their own preventative care, allowing more legal immigration to fill jobs, and expansion of HIPAA laws to include personal data protection.
No candidate today aligns well with my view of what is important. I believe job one for the government is to keep citizens safe. Job two should be to keep the government running. Job three should be spending within our means. Job four should be improving and evolving laws and the Constitution to do good while doing no harm.
Americans are losing civility, and it starts with leadership. People should be treated with respect. Leaders should seek middle ground. At this point in US politics, there is no middle ground. With this backdrop, here are my thoughts on each of the candidates running for the GOP of US Senate…..
Darline Graham Nordone is being coronated. The President, the Governor, and the Graham money machine are leading the coronation parade. I don’t think “I will vote like my brother” is enough information. I don’t understand why the SC GOP broke the rule they just set to allow a candidate that has not voted in 2 of the last 3 GOP primaries. I don’t like the idea that the president can tell the people of SC who should represent them. Our senator will not represent the president. They will represent us. I am against her coronation, and have not seen any ideas from her that resonate. Trump will be gone in 2 years after the elections. His approval rating is 32%. The “I support Trump” platform is not enough for me.
Ralph Norman aligned with me on term limits, yet he spent 20 years in the House. He did not win the governor race, and can’t resist staying in politics. He claims we should judge him on his record. During his 20 years in congress we have not seen debt go down, or spending decreases. From my view the Freedom Caucus has not been successful in anything except polarizing people. He is known to “not compromise.” He is also 73 years old. He will never seek middle ground. He comes across as a slick politician, and to me represents more of the same. I don’t see him as the best choice.
Mark Lynch garnered less than half the votes in Primary Part 1 vs. Graham. He spent $46 per vote (Lindsey spent $80). This tells me despite his best efforts, people just don’t like him. His past haunts him. His tone during the campaign feels negative to me. I don’t know of any new ideas. I know what he is against. While he turned his life around after many arrests, I can’t get my head around being arrested that many times, and then earning my vote to be my representative.
Mark Sanford was a good governor and his comeback from scumbag to congressman says a lot about his ability to play politics. He has experience as governor and two stints as congressman. I love his dedication to balancing budgets. He is hanging his hat on his ability to push back, yet find middle ground to control spending. I believe he would push back on actions he disagrees with, but still play nice with others. He has called for a return to civility in government, and I really like that. He has zero support from Team Trump, and his Evita (don’t cry for me Argentina) experience hangs like a cloud over his persona. I am still considering him as a person to vote for, but won’t make a decision until election day, and maybe not until I get to the ballot polling place.
Russell Fry has some allure for me. We agree we shouldn’t deploy troops to be the world’s police. He is 41 years old, and has experience as a representative. He finds favor from Trump, but not an endorsement. At least not yet. Trump could co-endorse again if it appears the coronation is going off the rails. He seems interested in spending and budgeting discipline, and traditional conservatism without the nasty edge of the Freedom Caucus. The mere fact he is young (all other candidates are 20+ years older than he) is a plus for me. The tired old ways have the best chance of changing to better ways under the guidance of younger leaders. I just wish he would say more than “I’m with Trump.” He is still in the mix for me as the best choice along with Sanford.
I will vote. I am a registered GOP voter. But I feel disaffected.
After the primary I will return to clear eyed choices between those on the ballot in November. At this point I am terrified by the growing Democrat party socialist wing. I don’t understand the coronation of Dr. Annie Andrews by the Democrats. She spent over half her life studying to be a pediatrician, then after a few years of practice, gave up her SC license to be a full time politician. She is a great orator, and very passionate. But since losing to Nancy Mace she has a hole in her resume. She managed a PAC that had revenue below $30K last year. She gave up her profession. I wonder where her income comes from, and suspect it is mostly from political donors from out of state. The Democrat version of coronation.
I line up well with many aspects of Libertarian Katie Whitener. But, she has no money. Without money, you are stone cold dead in politics. The media ignores you without massive spending. So, even though I feel well aligned, I can’t see a path to victory for the party, just like I couldn’t see a path to victory for my own campaign as an independent with no money.
The choices are not great, but I must make a choice. But not until the last minute. Who knows what could happen between now and election days. I hope everyone finds someone to vote for, not against. I also hope people will vote. From the heart.
By Don Louis · Published 2026-08-06