Crowd of South Carolina Republicans jockey for Lindsey Graham's Senate seat

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Jul 13, 2026

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A crowded field of South Carolina Republicans Monday was shaping up for a special election to fill the Senate seat held by the late Lindsey Graham after his sudden death from a heart problem over the weekend.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Rep. Nancy Mace and Rep. Ralph Norman, all of whom were losing candidates in the recent crowded GOP primary for governor, are considered possible candidates in a quickie GOP primary that is expected to take place in August.

An open seat in deep-red South Carolina would be a political plum that will likely attract many ambitious Republican politicians from the Palmetto State.

A wild card is Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, who President Trump suggested should be appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster to fill out the remaining months of Graham’s term. It’s not known if Nordone might have ambitions to run for the seat permanently.

“This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly,” Trump wrote on his social media site.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the state’s now-senior Sen. Tim Scott also both said they support the potential appointment of Nordone.

South Carolina is heavily Republican so it’s unlikely any scenario would endanger GOP control of Graham’s seat, which will apparently be vacant only until sometime this week. Republicans hold a 53-47 edge in the chamber.

Republicans just finished a bruising contest to pick their nominee to succeed McMaster, who is wrapping up his second term. State Attorney General Alan Wilson won the nomination in that race, overcoming a field that included Evette, Mace and Norman.

Besides those three, Rep. Russell Fry could also be interested in Graham’s seat along with ex-Rep. Trey Gowdy, who hosts a show on Fox News.

Ex-Gov. Nikki Haley, who ran a losing 2024 presidential primary campaign against Trump, said she is not interested in running.

Businessman Mark Lynch, who lost a primary challenge to Graham, also said he would run.

Trump’s endorsement will likely carry significant weight in the primary, given his iron grip on the party’s base, especially in the Deep South. That makes Mace a long shot because she has occasionally feuded with the GOP president.

The special primary election would be held on the second Tuesday after that filing period closes, or Aug. 11. A runoff, which would be necessary if no candidate wins 50%, would follow two weeks after that, on Aug. 25.

The new nominee would have just over two months to campaign for the general election on Nov. 3 against the Democratic nominee, Annie Andrews.

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