Upstate Democrat suspends campaign for U.S. Senate: 'Now is the time for unity'

Statement from Lee Johnson on U.S. Senate campaign - The MinorityEye

(Greenville, SC) – July 16 – Lee Johnson released the following statement on Wednesday in regards to his campaign for the U.S. Senate:

After two months, this Upstate Democrat drops out of SC US Senate race

Lee Johnson, an Upstate SC Democrat, has dropped out of the U.S. Senate race after two months, citing the need for party unity and competitive fundraising.

1 Democrat out, another enters race to challenge Sen. Lindsey Graham

Lee Johnson, a Greenville businessman in the 2026 Senate race, speaks at Jim Clyburn's Fish Fry on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Photo by Shaun Chornobroff/SC Daily Gazette)The long list of candidates seeking to challenge sitting U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham continues to shift. A week after Democrat Brandon Brown announced he would run, a different Democrat, Lee Johnson, suspended his campaign. This brings the total field to seven challengers from the two …

Upstate Democrat suspends campaign for U.S. Senate: 'Now is the time for unity'

GREENVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) -- Democrat Lee Johnson announced Wednesday that he is suspending his 2026 campaign for U.S. Senate and pledged to rally around the eventual nominee. "As the Democratic primary has taken shape, it has become clear that now is the time for unity," Johnson said. "This was not an easy decision," he said. "But as Democrats prepare to challenge Lindsey Graham in 2026, the best thing I can do to help in that fight is support th…