There’s a reason for that, Chad Connelly, founder of Faith Wins and the former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, said on “Washington Watch” Monday.
Graham could be loud and boisterous, and when he planted a flag on right-wing positions like defense, pro-life issues or Israel, it was planted firmly.
Sometimes his commitment to those issues left little time for relationships on either side of the aisle.
“Lindsey was definitely underestimated and misunderstood, and I think it's because he was so focused on what he was doing. I don't think he spent a lot of time trying to defend himself or explain it,” Connelly told show host Tony Perkins.
But when time allowed, when Graham let down his hair with voters, many came away impressed.
“We had a pastors’ meeting with him right before the primary on June 9. We had 45 pastors from over 10 denominations in Anderson, South Carolina. Three pastors in particular told me that day, ‘I just don't like the guy. He’s been there too long, and it’s time for him to go.’ I said, ‘I just want to know what y’all think afterward,’” Connelly said.
Things changed.
Graham entered the room. He spoke; he shook hands. Everyone sat and broke bread, or rather, broke chicken together.
“He had a Chick-Fil-A lunch with us. He gave his testimony,” Connelly said.
Graham won over the crowd.
“He had fun. He made jokes. He got really serious about Israel and the Middle East situation, about pro-life, about religious liberty and judges. He related and had a fantastic time. When he left, every single pastor, said, ‘not only am I voting for the guy, I'm going to tell my people in my congregation they don’t understand this guy,’” Connelly said.
Before the meeting the pastors did not understand the depth to which Lindsey Graham was working on behalf of South Carolina and the nation, Connelly said.
Connelly described Graham as a Christian who was not often vocal about his faith. The senator shared his testimony with the pastors at Connelly’s request.
“He told that crowd of pastors that when he learned as a young man that he could not get to heaven without Jesus in his heart, he accepted Christ at an early age, in his late teens, I believe it was.”
Taking her brother’s torch
For Graham, a 30-year Air Force veteran, life was shaped when his parents died, and he made the decision to look after his sister, Darlene.
Eventually he adopted Darlene which made her eligible to share in his Air Force benefits.
Darlene Graham Nordone (pictured in an AP photo below) was appointed Monday by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to serve the remainder of her later brother’s final Senate term.
McMaster, who consulted with Trump and Senate leadership, stated that Nordone would "finish his work for him," noting her lifelong closeness to her brother and her current role as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.
Graham Nordone was sworn in Tuesday.
A special primary election has been set for Aug. 11 to select a nominee for the full six-year term to be decided in November.
One candidate, Greenville, South Carolina businessman Mark Lynch, has officially announced his intention to run.
The filing period is July 21-28.
U.S. House Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace are also likely to enter.
“You only live once, and if the people of South Carolina would like me to serve in that capacity, I’ll certainly take a look at it,” Mace said on Fox News Live Sunday.
Lynch, a guest on American Family Radio Tuesday, ran against Graham in the June primary but collected just 29% of the vote while charging that Graham was not sufficiently conservative on key issues.
“We come in Jesus’ name, and the SAVE Act is Christ. In prayer this morning that was impressed on me because we’re a God-fearing campaign,” Lynch told show host Jenna Ellis.
Emphasizing the SAVE Act
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE America Act, requires proof of citizenship to register to vote and identification to vote.
It has twice passed the House but is currently blocked by a filibuster in the Senate. It has failed twice in 2026, April 23 and June 4, when it was presented as an amendment to budget reconciliation bills. Both votes were 50-48 with Republicans Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) and Thom Tillis (North Carolina) joining Democrats in opposition.
“Our system is completely broken because God's not at the center. It's time to get back to what will fix this country, and it will only be God through his son, Jesus Christ. That's who we are, and that's what we're about,” Lynch said.
