South Carolina GOP Senate Candidates Clash Over Filibuster, Iran Conflict and Data Centers
In a televised debate, five Republican contenders for the South Carolina Senate seat sparred on the filibuster, congressional war powers regarding Iran, and the impact of data center expansion.
Five Republican hopefuls vying to fill the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's South Carolina Senate seat debated Monday night, covering a range of national issues. The participants were Sen. Darlene Graham Nordone, Rep. Ralph Norman, Rep. Russell Fry, businessman Mark Lynch and former Gov. Mark Sanford.
Nordone, who holds President Donald Trump’s endorsement, said she would vote to eliminate the filibuster, arguing that Democrats are likely to do so eventually. > "And I am all for — this is where I differ from my brother — getting rid of the filibuster to get this done, because eventually the Democrats are going to get rid of it anyway," she said.
Sanford emphasized that only Congress has the constitutional authority to declare war, suggesting the decision on the ongoing conflict with Iran should rest with lawmakers rather than the president. > "Only Congress has the authority to declare war. This decision needs to be made by Congress … body bags don't go back to Washington. They come back to home states and congressional districts," he said.
Fry expressed opposition to deploying U.S. troops to Iran, citing personal connections to past wars. > "No boots on the ground. I’m not a believer in that. My brother served in Iraq, and I’ve lost friends in foreign wars. But we can finish the mission by defanging Iran and making sure they have no capabilities left," he said.
Lynch raised concerns about the rapid expansion of data centers in South Carolina, arguing that local communities should be prioritized over corporate interests. > "It is a pain point for South Carolinians. We're tired of waking up and seeing 100 acres of trees bulldozed, and we're told the data center is going to go right next to our neighborhood. It is horrible noise pollution. They're robbing our water. It takes millions of gallons to cool the data centers, and it's causing our electric utilities to increase," he said.
The debate also featured a personal exchange when Nordone challenged Lynch over his repeated references to her late brother. No response was recorded from Lynch.