South Carolina GOP Scrambles to Maintain Power in Special Primary After Lindsey Graham's Death
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Republicans in South Carolina, facing the loss of longtime conservative Senator Lindsey Graham, held a special primary Tuesday to select his replacement. The race is dominated by establishment figures and political insiders, including Graham's sister Darline Graham, two sitting U.S. Representatives, and former governor Mark Sanford.
On Tuesday, South Carolina Republicans rushed to the polls in a special primary designed to ensure the GOP’s continued grip on power following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away on July 11 from a torn aorta. The contest is emblematic of the party’s reliance on dynastic politics and establishment connections, with Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, who was swiftly appointed interim senator by Governor Henry McMaster, now seeking to inherit her brother’s seat. She faces competition from two entrenched U.S. House members and former governor Mark Sanford, all representing the same old guard that has dominated South Carolina politics for decades.
Darline Graham, who has no prior experience in elected office, entered the race just a week after her brother’s passing, immediately receiving the backing of President Donald Trump. While campaign finance laws prevent her from directly tapping into Trump’s campaign war chest, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is exploiting loopholes to rake in unlimited donations for pro-Graham advertising, and a super-PAC tied to Lindsey Graham has pledged a staggering $900,000 to prop up her campaign.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a hardline fiscal conservative with a record of opposing even modest social spending, has lined up endorsements from Senators Rick Scott and Mike Lee, as well as Rep. Nancy Mace. Norman’s occasional disagreements with Trump, such as his support for Nikki Haley in the 2024 primary, highlight the internal divisions and opportunism within the party. Meanwhile, Rep. Russell Fry, a loyal Trump acolyte from Myrtle Beach, is using the race to amplify his far-right agenda beyond his own district.
Mark Sanford, the disgraced former governor and congressman whose career was derailed by a 2009 scandal, is attempting a political resurrection. After abandoning a failed bid to reclaim his old House seat, Sanford is now crisscrossing the state, hoping voters will forget his checkered past.
On the Democratic side, Dr. Annie Andrews, a physician from Charleston, emerged victorious in her party’s June primary and now faces the daunting task of challenging the Republican machine. Despite the state’s long history of GOP dominance and a recent ten-point Republican victory in the last Senate race, Andrews is positioning herself as a progressive alternative to the entrenched interests of the Republican field.
The compressed timeline for the special election, dictated by state law, has forced candidates to juggle campaigning with the public mourning for the late senator, highlighting the relentless and transactional nature of South Carolina’s political establishment.