Paul Dans, a key figure behind the conservative policy blueprint known as Project 2025, has ended his Republican primary challenge to Lindsey Graham in South Carolina.

Dans withdrew from the race on the final day, and candidates could remove their names from the ballot ahead of the state’s June 9 primary. He subsequently endorsed another Republican contender, Mark Lynch, an appliance business owner who has pledged significant personal funding for his campaign.

The decision reshapes a crowded GOP primary field in a race that has drawn national attention due to internal divisions within the party and competing endorsements tied to former President Donald Trump and conservative media figures.

Trump, who has already endorsed Graham, responded to Dans’ withdrawal on social media, criticizing support from commentator Tucker Carlson and suggesting it negatively impacted the campaign. Carlson has been publicly critical of U.S. foreign policy decisions in recent months.

Graham, a long-serving senator seeking another term, remains the dominant figure in the race with substantial fundraising advantages and endorsements from South Carolina Republican leaders, including Tim Scott and Henry McMaster.

Dans, who previously worked in the Trump administration and helped develop the Project 2025 policy framework through the Heritage Foundation, has argued that structural reforms are needed within the federal government and the U.S. Senate. He has framed his political efforts as part of a broader conservative governing agenda.

The South Carolina GOP primary remains competitive, though Graham enters the final stretch with a significant financial and institutional advantage as Mark Lynch continues to vie for support.