2002Final results
2002 election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina
U.S. Senate · South Carolina
Lindsey Graham (R) won with 54.4% of the vote, defeating Alex Sanders (D) by 10.2 points.
Lindsey GrahamRepublican · winner
54.4%600,010
Alex SandersDemocrat
44.2%487,359
Ted AdamsConstitution
0.7%8,228
Victor KocherLibertarian
0.6%6,648
1,102,912 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 2002
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Alex SandersLindsey Graham
$4.3M
Raised by the campaign
$8.4M
$4.2M
Spent by the campaign
$6.8M
$72.7K
Cash on hand
$58.5K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 2002.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 2002
The candidates
Lindsey Graham (R)Alex Sanders (D)
Also on the ballot: Ted Adams (Constitution), 0.7%; Victor Kocher (Libertarian), 0.6%