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by WILL FOLKS
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Paul Dans, a veteran corporate litigator and author of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, abruptly withdrew his name from consideration to become South Carolina’s next United States senator, sources familiar with his decision confirmed to FITSNews on Friday afternoon (April 10, 2026).
Dans is (or was) among the top two challengers to U.S. senator Lindsey Graham, who has spent the last thirty-one years in Washington, D.C. draining our treasury and imperiling our national security via his reckless, dangerous foreign interventionism.
The other top Graham challenger is Mark Lynch – a Greer, S.C.-based appliance store owner who has previously polled within striking distance of the fiscally liberal, warmongering incumbent.
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Messages to Dans’ campaign were not immediately returned – and it’s not immediately clear what led to his decision to abandon his candidacy.
Dans and his wife, Mary Helen Bowers, recently welcomed their fifth child last month – but it seemed in recent weeks that having a newborn wasn’t slowing their roll.
“You can always count on Paul to put America and our American values first,” Bowers wrote on X just last week.
Bowers has been one of her husband’s most consistent, compelling campaign surrogates.
Dans submitted his withdrawal notice to the S.C. State Election Commission (SCVotes.gov) at 2:21 p.m. EDT on Friday. The document was posted online within the hour.
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Within an hour of Dans’ news breaking on our media outlet, U.S. president Donald Trump – who has endorsed Graham – addressed the news on his Truth Social platform.
“Paul Dans has just dropped out of the South Carolina Senatorial Race against the Great Lindsey Graham,” Trump posted. “It all started to fall apart for Paul when a very Low IQ individual named Tucker Carlson ENDORSED him — THE KISS OF DEATH! Lindsey has a BIG lead, and is on his way to a spectacular VICTORY because he just, GETS THINGS DONE!”
Trump went on to praised Graham as “doing a fantastic job.”
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RELATED | SOUTH CAROLINA MUST OUST WARMONGER LINDSEY GRAHAM
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“He is running against a LUNATIC named Mark Lynch, who supports perhaps the Worst Congressman in the History of our Country, Thomas Massie, of the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Trump wrote. “I don’t have to go into great detail, but needless to say, Mark Lynch would be a DISASTER for the Republican Party, and Lindsey Graham just, GETS THE JOB DONE. VOTE FOR LINDSEY ALL THE WAY. MAGA!”
Initial reactions to Trump’s posts – even on his own platform – were harshly negative.
“There is nothing great about Lindsey Graham,” one Truth Social user responded.
“Lindsey Graham is the spawn of Satan are you kidding me?” another wrote.
“Mark Lynch is the MAGA candidate in that race and deserves MAGA’s full support,” yet another replied. “Just say no to Lindsey Grahamnesty.”
Dans also responded to Trump’s pro-Graham statement.
“Mr. President I am glad the people of South Carolina have finally got someone’s attention in DC,” he wrote on X. “Lord knows we need it. Our roads are ranked the worst in the nation, and our schools aren’t doing much better. I have always supported (Trump) since the moment he walked down the escalator. I often say the only thing I disagree with President Trump on is that he didn’t run in 2012. It is true I dropped out of the race today because it was the last day to leave the race and get my name off the ballot.”
“My good friend Tucker Carlson’s endorsement, which was an honor to receive, had nothing to do with it,” Dans continued. “I did it because we cannot Make America Great Again until Lady Graham is taken out of office.”
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I am honored to have the endorsement of @DansForSenate.
— Mark Lynch for U.S. Senate (@MarkLynchSC) April 10, 2026
The mission is to get Lady Grahm out of DC and replace him with an America First Patriot. We cannot allow him to spend another 6 years in Washington destroying South Carolina and America! #DumpLindsey on June 9th! https://t.co/VvQRZWp6KY
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“Mark Lynch has the resources to make that happen,” Dans wrote. “I am proud to endorse Mark Lynch and will do everything in my power to get him elected to the U.S. Senate. Mr. President we here in South Carolina love you, but we don’t trust Lady Graham to help you put America first. On June 9th Vote Mark Lynch. God Bless America.”
“I am honored to have the endorsement of Paul Dans,” Lynch wrote in response. “The mission is to get Lady Graham out of DC and replace him with an America First Patriot. We cannot allow him to spend another six years in Washington destroying South Carolina and America!”
That’s a position this media outlet has made it clear we support.
“Palmetto State voters have a chance this spring to send Lindsey Graham packing once and for all… they cannot afford to waste it,” we noted last month. “For themselves… or for their country.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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8 comments
I wonder if Dans was paid to do as that Bledsoe (sp?) turd did last time. As I recall he dropped out and threw his vote to Lindseypoo. I didn’t know Trumpstein had actually endorsed Lindsey yet, but figured it was coming.
Again, IF Lindsey gets the Republican nomination again this year, I am voting straight ticket Democrat. If we are going to have Democrats running everything, I want Democrats with the guts to wear the label. No more rewarding RINOs for selling us out.
Fuck Lindsey Graham
Fuck DJT
Fuck the Republican Party
Good riddance. Fuck Dans. He can move out of South Carolina and be a carpetbagger somewhere else.
He is a goofy looking fuck, for sure. I bet even he would have been less harmful to our country than Lindsey Graham.
“I’m voting straight democrat..”
That tells you who’d backing Lynch.
If Lindsey is the Republican choice for US Senate this year, I will be voting straight ticket Democrat, too.
Rewarding the Republican Party for thumbing their noses at is is getting us absolutely nowhere. Let them feel pain and maybe they will be inclined to change their ways.
What the heck does “Grahamnesty” mean?
Dump Lindsey
It does not matter which Republican you vote for. They will all kneel and kiss Trump’s a$$. If you want to stop the hell we are living through right now, you must take power from Republicans. We need to fix Social Security, fix Medicare, make health care affordable for average Americans, and begin to address the debt. None of that will happen with Republicans in power. They will just keep funneling all of our money to billionaires and defense contractors.