South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has launched a political committee to “test the waters” for a 2016 presidential bid. The committee, Security Through Strength, will allow Graham to raise money, hire staff and travel.
David Wilkins, who chaired President George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign in South Carolina and co-chaired his 2000 effort in the state, will head Graham’s committee.
Graham, who was elected to a third Senate term in 2014, tells CNN he is “seriously thinking about this” and that he will decide on whether to launch a campaign by April.
The Republican has been a fierce critic of President Barack Obama’s handling of foreign policy matters and would likely center his candidacy on national security issues.
“Ronald Reagan’s policy of ‘Peace Through Strength’ kept America safe during the Cold War,” Graham said in a statement released by the committee. “But we will never enjoy peaceful coexistence with radical Islam because its followers are committed to destroying us and our way of life. However, America can have ‘Security Through Strength,’ and I will continue to lead in that critical fight.”