republican lindsey graham getting ready to throw his hat into the twenty sixteen presidential race , the south carolina senator saying monday he will announce his decision on whether to run for president on june first , graham has been a vocal critic of president barack obama's foreign policy and stood out from other g. o. p. candidate by defending former president george w. bush is decision to invade iraq ram would become the seventh republican to announce his candidacy for the twenty sixteen nomination joining fellow senators ted cruz rand paul and marco rubio , former arkansas governor mike huckabee x. hewlett packard chief carly fiorina and retired physician ben carson are also in the race