Paul Dans, a key figure behind the conservative blueprint Project 2025, has announced he will run against Senator Lindsey Graham in the South Carolina Republican primary next year. According to reports on Monday, Dans will join a crowded field of contenders seeking to unseat the veteran senator.
Dans served as director of Project 2025 until July 2024, when the project became a liability for Donald Trump's presidential campaign. He left the Heritage Foundation as criticism mounted. However, he has since celebrated the implementation of many Project 2025 elements by the current administration, calling it “way beyond my wildest dreams”.
Project 2025, a 900-page manifesto, proposed dismantling the US government's 'deep state' by replacing career employees with political appointees. It also outlined policies targeting immigration and protections for LGBTQ+ people. Dans described the Senate as the “headwaters of the swamp”, labelling Graham as the “top swamp critter”.
Graham, who has served in the Senate since 2003, is seeking a fifth term. His challengers include former lieutenant governor Andre Bauer and businessman Mark Lynch. Despite Trump's endorsement of Graham, Dans argues the senator does not align with the MAGA base, citing booing at a 2023 Trump rally.
Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to Graham's campaign, dismissed Dans's candidacy, stating it would “end prematurely”. The primary is seen as a test of the MAGA coalition's influence within the Republican Party.
