Thomas Dismukes
Thomas Dismukes (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. Senate to represent South Carolina. Dismukes declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on June 9, 2026.[source]
Dismukes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Thomas Dismukes earned a high school diploma from Dorman High School. He went on to earn an associate degree from Spartanburg Community College in 1994, a B.S. from Clemson University in 1997, and an M.S. from Clemson University in 1999. Dismukes' career experience includes working as a motivational speaker.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: United States Senate election in South Carolina, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on June 9, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. Senate South Carolina
The following candidates are running in the general election for U.S. Senate South Carolina on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
Jason Brenkus (L)  | ||
 | Kasie Whitener (L) | |
| Jack Ellison (Independent) | ||
| Cindy Glaser (Independent) | ||
 | Don Louis (Independent) | |
| Paul Sedletsky (Independent) | ||
| Edward Strunge (Independent) | ||
| Reece Wright-McDonald (Independent) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate South Carolina
Annie Andrews (D), Brandon Brown (D), Catherine Fleming Bruce (D), Kyle Freeman (D), and Christopher Giracello (D) are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate South Carolina on June 9, 2026.
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Lee Johnson (D)
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Carolina
The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Carolina on June 9, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Lindsey Graham | |
| Calvin Cowen | ||
 | Paul Dans | |
 | Thomas Dismukes | |
 | Patrick Herrmann | |
 | Mark Lynch | |
| Darius Mitchell | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Andre Bauer (R)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Thomas Dismukes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dismukes' responses.
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Thomas has lived a full and unconventional life. For more than 30 years, he has spoken to audiences across the US and 48 countries, reaching millions of people with messages on leadership, character, and personal responsibility. His life is marked by the kind of experiences most people only hear about in stories—discovering a lost medieval tomb in Scotland, sleeping in dumpters, riding in a rodeo, and breaking a world record. These moments are more than stories—they reflect a life willing to step forward, take risks, and follow through. Rather than pursuing a career in politics, he has focused on building a life centered on family, community, and purpose. He is running for the U.S. Senate because he believes something must change. His commitment is simple: do the job with integrity, represent the people faithfully, and then return home. Thomas believes elected officials are employees of the people, not the other way around. His campaign is rooted in the idea that government works for the citizens, and that freedom must be protected through responsibility, courage, and action.
Above all, Thomas is guided by his faith in Jesus Christ and his conviction that America’s best days are still ahead if its people are willing to stand up, take responsibility and lead.- NOT A POLITICIAN — SERVANT LEADERSHIP I’m not running for a career in politics. I’m a husband, father, and citizen stepping forward to serve—then go home. Government works for the people, not the other way around.
- FREEDOM WITH RESPONSIBILITY I believe in limited government, strong constitutional values, and personal responsibility. Protect freedom, reduce overreach, and put power back in the hands of the people.
- PEOPLE OVER MONEY It should not take millions to serve South Carolina. This campaign is about people—not special interests, not big money, not political games. Your vote matters more than any dollar.
2. Constitutional Government & Personal Liberty- Protect freedom. Limit federal overreach. Return power to the people.
3. Family & Community Values- Strengthen families. Protect parental rights. Support local communities.
4. Term Limits & Government Accountability- No career politicians. Serve, then go home. Transparency.
Thomas is overwhelmingly endorsed by his family, friends, church, neighbors, and the organizations he has served. These are the people who have seen his character up close—not on a stage, not in an ad, but in everyday life.
Those who know Thomas trust him. They’ve watched him lead, serve, sacrifice, and show up time and time again—not for recognition, but because it’s who he is.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 20, 2026
