Sen. Darline Graham Considers Senate Run After Brother's Death, Backed by Trump
Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to fill her late brother Lindsey Graham's seat, is weighing a campaign for a full term and has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump, while other GOP candidates have entered the race.
Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to complete the term of her late brother Lindsey Graham, is contemplating a campaign for a full six-year Senate term in South Carolina. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on July 17 that he gives her his "complete and total endorsement" and urged her to run.
The filing window for the special primary runs from July 21 to July 28, with the primary scheduled for Aug. 11. The race will test Trump's influence in the state's Republican electorate. Trump previously endorsed the state's attorney general, Alan Wilson, in the June 23 gubernatorial runoff, after his original pick, Pamela Evette, fell behind in polls.
Several current House members have announced their candidacies despite Trump's backing of Graham. Rep. Ralph Norman declared his bid on July 18, while Rep. Russell Fry indicated he is weighing a decision. Businessman Mark Lynch also entered the contest, and Rep. Nancy Mace, who finished last in the June gubernatorial primary, has not ruled out a run.
Graham, 62, has received support from fellow senators. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said reporters should ask "why not her?" and Alabama Sen. Katie Britt praised Graham's "grace and purpose" on social media. Both senators escorted Graham during her ceremonial swearing-in on July 14.
If Graham wins the Republican primary, she would face Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews, a physician who lost a 2022 congressional race to Rep. Nancy Mace. Graham, a mother of two and commissioner on the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, was adopted by her brother at age 13 after their parents died.
Rep. William Timmons, a friend of the late Lindsey Graham, posted support for Trump's endorsement, calling it a "fitting tribute" to the senior senator's legacy and pledging to campaign for Darline Graham.
Trump's endorsement is expected to carry weight in the state's GOP primary, as the former president has been active in endorsing candidates in Senate and House races across the country during the current election cycle.