South Carolina Republicans are holding a special primary to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died July 11 from aortic complications. His sister, Darline Graham, was appointed interim senator and quickly launched a campaign with President Trump’s endorsement and backing from an NRSC ad push and a super PAC pledge of $900,000. The crowded GOP field also includes Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry and former Gov. Mark Sanford, and the race is unfolding under a compressed state timeline. No Democrat has won a Senate seat in the state in decades.
South Carolina GOP Holds Special Primary to Replace Late Sen. Lindsey Graham
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., leans over to hear a reporter's question following at a candidate event for hopefuls vying in a special Republican primary to replace her late brother Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on November ballots, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Florence, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
South Carolina Republicans are voting in a special primary to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the sudden July 11 death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. The race, compressed by state law, has turned quickly into a crowded, high-profile contest featuring an appointed interim senator, multiple U.S. House members and a former governor.
Rep. Ralph Norman R-S.C., speaks at a candidate event for hopefuls vying in a special Republican primary to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on November ballots, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Florence, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Interim Senator and Trump Endorsement
Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, was appointed a day after his death to serve out the final months of his term and was sworn in with family and the late senator’s staff behind her. A political newcomer, she launched a campaign to finish her brother’s term and quickly secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., left, sits with his son James at a candidate event for hopefuls vying in a special Republican primary to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on November ballots, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Florence, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Outside Spending and Party Support
While Darline Graham cannot access funds from the president’s personal campaign account, those funds may be transferred to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). The NRSC is already running ads supporting her, and a super PAC that previously backed Lindsey Graham has pledged $900,000 for mailers and other advertising promoting Darline Graham as "President Trump’s choice" to carry on her brother’s legacy.
FILE - Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., introduces Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on the nomination Lunday for Commandant of the Coast Guard, Nov. 19, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
The Field
The special primary includes several familiar Republican figures:
Former Gov. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., watches as he waits to speak at a candidate event days before the special South Carolina Republican primary to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)(AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
- U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman: Fresh from a failed run for governor, Norman has picked up endorsements from Sens. Rick Scott and Mike Lee and Rep. Nancy Mace. A staunch fiscal conservative, Norman at times clashed with Trump and backed Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary.
- U.S. Rep. Russell Fry: A congressman from the Myrtle Beach area, Fry hoped for Trump’s backing and has been working to expand his profile statewide despite not receiving the endorsement.
- Former Gov. Mark Sanford: Seeking a political comeback after a 2009 scandal that ended his prior ascent, Sanford re-entered the statewide spotlight after briefly pursuing a House comeback and proposing a nonprofit focused on the national debt.
- Mark Lynch: A Greenville businessman who challenged Lindsey Graham in the regular primary, Lynch quickly relaunched his campaign. He brands himself as an "America First" candidate and a Trump supporter, despite having been sharply criticized by the president on social media during the June primary.
- Dr. Annie Andrews: A Charleston physician who won the June Republican primary outright for the regular contest, Andrews has pivoted from a campaign focused on defeating Lindsey Graham to critiquing the broader Republican field.
Mourning and a Compressed Timeline
State law imposed a tight timetable for the special election, forcing candidates to balance the decorum of mourning the senator with an accelerated campaign schedule. The fast-moving process began even before funeral observances concluded.
Electoral Context
No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades. In 2020, Lindsey Graham defeated Democrat Jaime Harrison by roughly 10 percentage points in one of the nation’s most expensive Senate contests, a reminder of the state’s recent Republican tilt and the high stakes for both the GOP and its opponents.
Note: This primary determines who will be on the ballot to serve out the remainder of Graham’s term; outside spending and national attention suggest the race will remain closely watched.
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