South Carolina Governor to Appoint Interim Senator as Special Primary Planned After Lindsey Graham's Death
Governor Henry McMaster will name a temporary replacement for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, while a special primary is scheduled for August to select a Republican nominee for the November Senate race.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster is expected to appoint an interim senator to fill the seat of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died Saturday night from an aortic dissection. The appointee will serve until January, after which a special primary election will be held to choose the Republican nominee for the November 3 general election. Under state law, the filing period for the special primary opens on July 21, with the primary set for August 11 and a possible runoff on August 25.
The timing creates challenges under federal election rules, which require overseas and military ballots to be mailed 45 days before any federal election—a deadline that would have been June 27 for the primary. Federal Election Commission officials have not yet clarified how the schedule will be reconciled.
Potential candidates for the interim seat include Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who lost the June runoff for governor to Attorney General Alan Wilson, and U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, a two-term congressman from the Myrtle Beach area. Rep. Joe Wilson, another possible contender, said he intends to remain in the House to preserve the Republican majority. Rep. Nancy Mace, who is not seeking re-election to the House, is also reportedly weighing a Senate bid.
The vacancy also raises questions about the Republican Party’s prospects in the general election. No Democrat has won a Senate seat in South Carolina for decades, and the GOP typically wins statewide contests by double-digit margins. Democrat pediatrician Annie Andrews, who secured the party’s nomination in May, has raised more than $8 million and holds nearly $3 million in cash on hand, compared with Graham’s $6 million raised and $4 million cash at the time of his death.
Sen. Tim Scott, the state’s junior senator, called Graham “irreplaceable” and expressed personal loss, noting their long-standing professional relationship. The appointment and upcoming primary will shape South Carolina’s representation in the Senate and the balance of seniority within the chamber.