In a press release, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham announced a $15.6 million war chest. Will any upstate or low country true conservative challenge Lindsey Graham this coming 2026 cycle?
COLUMBIA, SC – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham today announced the first major hires of his 2026 campaign team. Mark Knoop will serve as Campaign Manager, Luke Byars and Matt Moore will serve as Senior Advisors, and Tara N. Spicer will continue as Finance Director. The Graham campaign recently revealed a massive $15.6 million war chest, roughly five times the amount the campaign reported at the start of his last re-election campaign in January of 2019.
Graham said, “I’m proud to announce a powerhouse team with a proven record of delivering big wins for conservatives in South Carolina. Together, we’re building a strong, united effort to grow the Republican coalition, advance President Trump’s agenda, and fight for the values that matter most to South Carolinians.”
Lindsey Graham
Knoop said, “No one fights harder for South Carolina than Lindsey Graham.” He added, “When it comes to a strong military and standing up for veterans, no one advocates more than Senator Graham. He is on the frontlines every day, not only pushing for a strong national defense, but also securing the border and cutting government red tape. We’re excited to hit the ground running and ensure even greater success for our shared conservative values over the next two years.”
Knoop is a seasoned strategist behind numerous successful South Carolina campaigns, including Governor Henry McMaster’s 2022 race, Attorney General Alan Wilson’s 2018 campaign, and Senator Graham and SCGOP’s record-breaking 2020 ground game that expanded Republican majorities and flipped South Carolina’s1st Congressional District. Knoop is the CEO of Forward Communications.
Matt Moore is the Managing Partner of First Tuesday Strategies and a former Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party (2013–2017). Since 2018, Moore has consulted for nearly 100 winning GOP primary campaigns. He has held leadership roles with U.S. Senator Tim Scott, the Republican Governors Association, and the S.C. Senate Republican Caucus, where he led efforts to defeat seven Democratic incumbents over the last two election cycles.
Luke Byars is Senior Partner of First Tuesday Strategies and brings three decades of experience winning Republican campaigns. Byars recently served as the chief strategist in Congressman William Timmons’ hard-fought primary victory. In 2022, Byars successfully led campaigns for Congressman Russell Fry and S.C. Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver. Byars previously served as a Senior Advisor to Graham’s 2014 and 2020 campaigns.
Tara N. Spicer has managed Lindsey Graham’s campaign finance operation since 2019, leading one of the most prolific fundraising efforts in history. Spicer led Graham’s 2020 fundraising operation that raised a record-setting $112M. A Charleston resident and native, Tara has been involved in fundraising for multiple SC Republican candidates, national campaign committees, and conservative initiatives over her career.
Local News Via - MyrtleBeachSC.com
