South Carolina Republican voters went to the polls on Tuesday in a special primary to choose a nominee for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11 from cardiovascular disease. The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the November midterm election.
South Carolina Republicans vote in special primary to select Senate nominee following Lindsey Graham's death
South Carolina Republican voters went to the polls on Tuesday in a special primary to choose a nominee for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11 from cardiovascular disease. The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the November midterm election.
Graham died less than five weeks before Tuesday's primary, according to Al Jazeera. During his 23 years in the Senate, he had won the Republican primary in the state on June 9 before his death. Under South Carolina law, when a candidate who has won a primary vacates the race, a special election must be held, with candidates permitted to enter formally on the second Tuesday after the vacancy and a one-week filing period.
Ten candidates entered the Republican field. They include Darline Graham, who was appointed by outgoing Governor Henry McMaster on July 13 — two days after her brother's death — to complete his Senate term through January. She is described by Al Jazeera as the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate. Prior to her appointment, she served as a public administrator. Al Jazeera reports that she and Lindsey Graham were said to be close, as he helped raise her after their parents died.
Other candidates in the race include businessman Mark Lynch, who finished second to Lindsey Graham in the June primary; sitting U.S. Representatives Russell Fry and Ralph Norman; and former Governor Mark Sanford, according to Al Jazeera. Also running are lawyer Duke Buckner, biomedical engineer Samuel Shepherd, former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, retired Air Force officer Glenda Gail Parker, and farmer Danny Lee Ford II.
President Trump has endorsed Darline Graham, according to both sources. A Quantus Insights poll cited by Al Jazeera showed her with 30.4 percent of support, placing her first, with Ralph Norman second at 17.5 percent, Russell Fry third at 16.6 percent, and Mark Sanford fourth at 15.4 percent.
According to Al Jazeera, a Republican is generally favoured to hold the seat in the Republican-leaning state, though Graham's death is seen as having improved Democratic prospects. The outlet notes that Darline Graham's lack of prior legislative experience could be a vulnerability in the general election. Democratic nominee Andrews, a paediatrician, has been described by Al Jazeera as an active fundraiser who has criticised Republican leadership and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over a measles outbreak in South Carolina that began in October 2025.
Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time, according to Al Jazeera.
- The outcome of Tuesday's primary vote is not reported in either source, as coverage predates results.
- Neither source reports whether any candidates other than Darline Graham received endorsements from prominent figures.
- The precise date of Lindsey Graham's death is given as July 11 by Al Jazeera; NPR states he died 'last month' without specifying the date.
- Neither source provides comment from all ten candidates on the race.
- The general-election polling between the eventual Republican nominee and Democratic nominee Annie Andrews is not provided by either source.
- NPR News — original
- Al Jazeera English — by Joseph Stepansky