South Carolina holds special Republican primary to fill late Sen. Lindsey Graham's seat
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Ten Republicans, including interim Senator Darline Graham, compete in a fast-track primary, with a runoff likely before the August 25 deadline.
South Carolina voters will choose a Republican nominee to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham in a special primary on Tuesday. The race, compressed into roughly two weeks, features ten candidates who have been traveling across the state to meet voters in diners, churches and community centers. Interim Senator Darline Graham, appointed by Governor Henry McMaster after Graham’s death on July 11, is among those on the ballot.
State law requires a runoff if no candidate secures a majority, setting a likely second round for August 25. The eventual winner will face Democratic pediatrician Annie Andrews in the November general election.
Darline Graham, a former commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, received an endorsement from President Donald Trump, which party officials say carries weight but does not guarantee victory. "It’s very important, but a lot of people are saying Donald Trump does not know South Carolina politics," said Frank Tiller, chair of the Spartanburg County Republican Party. "South Carolina politics is different from a lot of places. Everybody here is fiercely independent."
Other prominent contenders include Rep. Ralph Norman, a real-estate developer and member of the House Freedom Caucus, and Rep. Russell Fry, an attorney who defeated former Rep. Tom Rice in a 2022 primary. Both have positioned themselves as fiscal conservatives and culture-war advocates. Former governor Mark Sanford, who previously served in the U.S. House, is also in the field.
The accelerated timeline follows Graham’s earlier primary win for the regular election, necessitating a special election to fill the vacancy on the November ballot. Campaigns are intensifying as voters seek to learn about the candidates amid the unusually short campaign period.