South Carolina GOP Picks Nominee in Crowded Race to Succeed Late Senator

South Carolina Republicans are heading to the polls on Tuesday for a special primary to select their party's nominee for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the sudden death of Lindsey Graham in July. The contest comes just two months after Graham had won the party's nomination for another term.

Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump, died on July 11 from a tear in his aorta. His death triggered a compressed election timeline under state law, forcing candidates to balance the solemnity of mourning with the urgency of campaigning.

Darline Graham, the late senator's sister and a political newcomer, was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to serve in the interim. She quickly entered the race and secured Trump's endorsement, a significant boost. While she cannot directly access the president's campaign funds, money can be transferred to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is already running ads in her support. A super PAC that previously backed her brother has also pledged $900,000 for her campaign, promoting her as "President Trump's choice."

Despite this high-level support, Graham faces a formidable and crowded field. Two U.S. House members are in the race. Ralph Norman, who recently lost a gubernatorial primary, has built a statewide profile as a fiscal conservative and has picked up endorsements from several senators and representatives. Russell Fry, a congressman from the Myrtle Beach area, is also running, hoping to expand his name recognition beyond his district.

Mark Sanford, a former governor and congressman, is seeking a political comeback. His career was stalled by an extramarital affair in 2009, and he recently ended a bid for his old House seat to focus on a nonprofit addressing the national debt. He is now reintroducing himself to voters across the state.

The field also includes Mark Lynch, a businessman who challenged Graham in the regular primary and has branded himself as an "America First" candidate, despite Trump having called him a "lunatic" on social media. On the Democratic side, Dr. Annie Andrews, a Charleston physician who won her primary in June, is pivoting her campaign strategy after originally planning to run against Graham.

South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in decades, and Graham's last victory in 2020 came by a 10-point margin in what was the most expensive Senate race in state history.