South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who so far has hardly registered in the polls, entered the presidential race in early June on a platform of strong national security, entitlement reform and bipartisan cooperation at home.

His close ally, fellow foreign policy hawk Sen. John McCain, has been a major Graham booster, and several McCain alums are helping Graham’s effort, along with operatives who are longtime Graham loyalists.

Graham is in his third term as a U.S. senator, winning reelection last year over the objections of tea party activists in his state, who disagreed with his collaboration with Democrats on immigration reform, among other issues.

The senator is considered a long-shot to win the GOP nomination, but he is popular among his fellow senators, and several presidential candidates and their allies have gone out of their way to praise him. Graham could also play an important role in pushing fellow 2016ers further to the right on national security issues.

Here’s a look at the key players in Graham’s orbit, with more to come as he staffs up:

• Christian Ferry is campaign manager. Ferry, a GOP operative, served as deputy campaign manager of McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, and also worked on his unsuccessful 2000 primary bid. He has worked on political and business campaigns abroad as well.

• Jon Seaton is a senior adviser. He’s a veteran Republican operative who served as former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s national political director during the last presidential primary, and also held a number of positions on McCain’s 2008 presidential bid, including national field director and regional campaign manager for Ohio and Pennsylvania.

• Brittany Bramell is the Graham campaign’s spokeswoman, who also serves in a senior communications role. She’s a former spokeswoman for House Speaker John Boehner.

• Scott Farmer is a senior adviser to Graham. He served as Graham’s campaign manager in 2014 and 2008 and is a veteran of the senator’s political shop.

• Rachael Leman is policy director. She spent 10 years in Congress working on the House Rules Committtee.

• David Wilkins is national finance chairman. Wilkins was nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador to Canada under President George W. Bush, something he did from 2005-2009. He’s also a prominent South Carolina lawyer. He is head of a national finance committee that includes prominent donors such as businessman and cosmetics mogul Ronald Perelman and General Electric head Jeff Immelt.

• Paul Young is advising Graham in New Hampshire. He is a longtime Granite State operative who has advised several presidential campaigns, including McCain’s, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s and former Sen. Bob Dole’s, among others.

• Tracie Gibler is Graham’s Iowa state director. She is well-connected in conservative circles as a former chief of staff to Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). She was Pawlenty’s political director during the last presidential election.

• Shell Suber is running political efforts in South Carolina. He is a longtime Palmetto State operative and served as political director for Graham’s 2008 campaign.

SUPER PAC

The group “Security is Strength” is backing Graham from the outside. Scott T. Ford, a prominent businessman, is co-chairman, along with former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.). Andrew King, Graham’s former deputy chief of staff, is executive director, and Caroline Wren is finance director, a position she held on his Senate race as well. Bill Bethea, a well-known South Carolina attorney, is treasurer.