Mark Lynch (South Carolina Politician)

Mark Lynch is an American businessman, Christian conservative, and political candidate from South Carolina. He is the president and owner of Jeff Lynch Appliance Center and is running for the U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in the 2026 election, challenging incumbent Senator Lindsey Graham in the Republican primary.[]

(https://www.foxcarolina.com/2025/02/05/sc-businessman-mark-lynch-announces-plans-run-against-sen-lindsey-graham/)[](https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/05/greenville-businessman-to-take-on-graham-in-2026-gop-senate-primary/78261922007/)

## Early Life and Education

Mark Lynch was born and raised in South Carolina. He attended Wade Hampton High School and later studied at the University of South Carolina from 1976 to 1981. A lifelong resident of the Upstate region, Lynch has lived in Spartanburg County for many years and currently resides in Duncan, South Carolina.[](https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Lynch)[](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/191503/mark-lynch)

## Business Career

Lynch is the president and owner of Jeff Lynch Appliance Center, a business founded by his father in 1951. After working at the store post-college, Lynch formed a buy-sell agreement at age 25 to acquire the business. Under his leadership, the company grew from a small retail store with a few employees into a multi-million dollar enterprise employing over 110 South Carolinians. The business remained operational during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been recognized for its debt-free status and ability to compete with national chain stores.[](https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Lynch)[](https://lynchforsenate.com/)[](https://scdailygazette.com/2025/02/10/upstate-gop-businessman-kicks-off-challenge-to-lindsey-graham/)

## Political Career

### 2020 South Carolina State Senate Campaign

In 2020, Lynch ran as a Republican candidate for South Carolina State Senate District 12, which covers parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties. Running as a political outsider and Christian conservative, he emphasized fiscal responsibility, pro-life values, and infrastructure improvements. He was defeated by incumbent Scott Talley in the Republican primary on June 9, 2020, by approximately six percentage points.[](https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Lynch)[](https://greenvillejournal.com/news/mark-lynch-state-senate-campaign/)[](https://www.fitsnews.com/2020/01/28/scott-talley-draws-primary-challenger-in-sc-senate-race/)

### 2026 U.S. Senate Campaign

On February 5, 2025, Lynch announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate to challenge Senator Lindsey Graham in the 2026 Republican primary. His campaign focuses on conservative values, including a strong pro-life stance, support for President Donald Trump, and criticism of Graham’s record. Lynch has accused Graham of betraying Republican principles, citing issues such as Graham’s alleged silence during the “Russia Hoax,” support for foreign aid through USAID, and failure to fully fund border security measures. Lynch has pledged to invest $4–5 million of his personal funds into the campaign and has called for closing South Carolina’s open primaries to prevent Democratic influence in Republican elections.[](https://www.foxcarolina.com/2025/02/05/sc-businessman-mark-lynch-announces-plans-run-against-sen-lindsey-graham/)[](https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/05/greenville-businessman-to-take-on-graham-in-2026-gop-senate-primary/78261922007/)[](https://www.wyff4.com/article/senator-lindsey-graham-mark-lynch-campaign-2026-gop/63679871)

Lynch’s platform emphasizes “God, family, and country,” advocating for policies such as the Equal Protection SC Act and the Life at Conception Act. He has publicly challenged Graham to debates, particularly on abortion policy, criticizing Graham’s proposed 15-week abortion ban as insufficiently pro-life. Lynch is also associated with the United Patriots Alliance, a Greenville-based conservative organization.[](https://myrtlebeachsc.com/mark-lynch-2/)[](https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/mark-lynch-appliance-senate-lindsey-graham-greenville-sc/article_fa79e6d0-e7be-11ef-875c-57875676a3e9.html)

## Personal Life

Mark Lynch has been married to his wife, Sarah, for 37 years, and they have two children and four grandchildren. He is a deacon at Burnsview Baptist Church in Greer, South Carolina, and is actively involved in missionary work, including efforts in Haiti and the Central African Republic. For over 40 years, Lynch has counseled men struggling with addiction through his involvement with Celebrate Recovery and other ministries. He is also an avid marksman and plays guitar in a band called Concealed Damage.[](https://lynchforsenate.com/)[](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/191503/mark-lynch)[](https://scdailygazette.com/2025/02/10/upstate-gop-businessman-kicks-off-challenge-to-lindsey-graham/)

## Political Positions

- **Abortion**: Lynch is staunchly pro-life, advocating for the protection of life from conception and opposing incremental abortion restrictions, such as Graham’s 15-week ban. He supports the Equal Protection SC Act and Life at Conception Act.[](https://myrtlebeachsc.com/mark-lynch-2/)

- **Election Reform**: Lynch has called for closing South Carolina’s open primaries to ensure only Republicans vote in GOP primaries.[](https://www.wyff4.com/article/senator-lindsey-graham-mark-lynch-campaign-2026-gop/63679871)[](https://x.com/MarkLynchSC/status/1922702433769144758)

- **Border Security**: He criticizes Graham for failing to support full funding for a border wall during Republican control of Congress in 2017–2018.[](https://www.foxcarolina.com/2025/02/05/sc-businessman-mark-lynch-announces-plans-run-against-sen-lindsey-graham/)[](https://myrtlebeachsc.com/mark-lynch/)

- **Conservative Values**: Lynch emphasizes a return to “God-fearing leadership” and strict adherence to the Constitution, aligning himself closely with President Donald Trump’s agenda.[](https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/mark-lynch-appliance-senate-lindsey-graham-greenville-sc/article_fa79e6d0-e7be-11ef-875c-57875676a3e9.html)[](https://scdailygazette.com/2025/02/10/upstate-gop-businessman-kicks-off-challenge-to-lindsey-graham/)

## Campaign Events and Public Appearances

Lynch officially launched his 2026 Senate campaign on February 10, 2025, at Jeff Lynch Appliance Center in Greenville. He has since spoken at events such as the “Stand for Liberty: A Conservative Conversation” hosted by the York County Reaganites on May 22, 2025, in Tega Cay, South Carolina. He also appeared at CPAC 2025 in Washington, D.C., where he was interviewed by RSBN’s Robert McNeilly.[](https://www.postandcourier.com/greenville/mark-lynch-appliance-senate-lindsey-graham-greenville-sc/article_fa79e6d0-e7be-11ef-875c-57875676a3e9.html)[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_1wuX1-m5g)[](https://www.wrhi.com/2025/05/u-s-senate-candidate-mark-lynch-to-speak-at-stand-for-liberty-event-in-tega-cay-199990)

## External Links

- [Official Campaign Website](https://www.lynchforsenate.com)[](https://lynchforsenate.com/)

- [Ballotpedia Profile](https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Lynch)[](https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Lynch)

- [FEC Candidate Overview](https://www.fec.gov)[](https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S6SC04213/?cycle=2026)[](https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/S6SC04213/)

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**Categories**: American Politicians | South Carolina Politicians | Republican Party (United States) | U.S. Senate Candidates | Businesspeople

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**Note**: This article is a stub. You can help expand it by adding relevant, verified information about Mark Lynch’s campaign or background.[](https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Lynch)