From Staff Reports 

COLUMBIA, S.C.  – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-Seneca,  announced on Jan. 13 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 2019.

In a Jan. 13 press release announcing his cadre for his 2026 campaign, 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.”

As for Knoop, his campaign manager, 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.”

Graham’s release noted that “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.”

Regarding one of Graham’s senior advisors, the release stated, “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.”

As for Graham’s other senior advisor, Luke Byars, the release stated that he “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.”