Paul Dans, a chief architect behind Project 2025, is entering the Republican primary to challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina, adding to a competitive field that will test loyalties within President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement ahead of the 2026 midterm election. Dans said the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce and cut federal programs align with what he envisioned in drafting Project 2025, but he emphasized more work remains, especially in the Senate. He described the Senate as the key obstacle to ending the progressive era, calling it “the headwaters of the swamp.”
Dan’s plans to officially announce his campaign Wednesday in Charleston, arguing that Graham, who has spent much of his career in Washington, should be replaced. Despite being a long shot against the entrenched incumbent, Dans joins a crowded race that already includes Republican former Lt. Gov. André Bauer and Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews. Graham has secured endorsements from top state Republicans, including Sen. Tim Scott and Gov. Henry McMaster, and enjoys early support from Trump, despite their complex relationship. Dans, formerly a White House liaison during the Trump administration and now a father of four, helped organize Project 2025 while working at the Heritage Foundation. The 1,000-page policy blueprint calls for dismantling the federal government and reducing the workforce. Dans left Heritage amid controversy over the plan, which drew sharp criticism from Democrats and some Republicans as extreme. He will launch his campaign with a prayer breakfast and a kickoff event in Charleston.
