Regional Industry & News

Former Myrtle Beach mayor joins crowded race for late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A former Myrtle Beach mayor is now running for the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s seat.

Mark McBride has officially entered the race for the special U.S. Senate primary election for the seat previously held by Graham who suddenly passed away earlier this month.

McBride ran for the same seat in 2004 and lost. He said that experience is part of why he is running again, arguing that nothing has changed in the last 23 years.

McBride said his campaign is all about putting America first. He said that starts with withdrawing U.S. troops from the Middle East. He said the U.S. is spending billions of dollars on the war with Iran when the focus should be on the American people.

“We need to quit putting all of our attention to wars and bring all of our attention back to the people, the people of South Carolina and the people of the country,” McBride said.

McBride said his focus is on addressing immigration issues, lowering food and gas prices and creating more jobs.

He said he’d also like to see the IRS done away with eventually and implement a flat 10 percent tax across the board so everyone pays the same.

“If your Elon Musk or the lady working at the Food Lion, everybody pays the same percent,” McBride said. “The wealthy and the billionaires shouldn’t be able to use all their corporate structures and fancy tax schemes to not have to pay anything. They just pay ten percent like everybody else.”

McBride said he is the candidate to stand up for the American people.

“I’m not there to be the MAGA warrior for Donald Trump,” McBride said. “I’m there to be the warrior for the people of South Carolina and to fight for the issues for everybody, not just to blindly go along with some party decision.”

McBride served as Myrtle Beach’s mayor from 1998 to 2005. He ran for office again last year and lost. In 2022, he also faced Congressman Russell Fry in the race for the District 7 seat.

McBride acknowledged he’s always been the underdog but said now is the time.

“I’ve had a pastor that’s been telling me each time I’ve ran and gotten beat these last couple of times, he’s just said, ‘Mark, God doesn’t need you and he doesn’t need your money, he just needs you to be willing and ready to step up and serve,’” McBride said. “I’m in the race to see if this is how God’s gonna use me at this time in my life.”

McBride has joined an already crowded field with several other candidates that have also officially filed.

That includes:

- Duke Buckner

- Mark Lynch

- Clark Neilson

- Samuel Shepherd

Congressman Russell Fry, Darlene Graham, Congressman Ralph Norman and Mark Sanford all announced plans to enter the race as well.

The official filing period ends Tuesday, August 28. You can watch the live, one-hour debate between the candidates on WMBF News on August 3 at 7 p.m.

The special primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11.

The winner will face off against democratic candidate Dr. Annie Andrews in November.

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