Senator Lindsey Graham died on July 11, 2026, from an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease [1]. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s 62-year-old sister, to temporarily fill his Senate seat [2, 3, 4].
Darline Graham officially declared on August 4 that she will run in the Republican special primary scheduled for August 11, 2026, seeking a full six-year Senate term [4, 5, 6]. President Donald Trump endorsed Darline Graham publicly, calling her "a WINNER all of her life" and urging her to "RUN, DARLINE, RUN!" [2, 3, 7, 4, 6].
Multiple Republicans have announced their candidacies in the GOP primary due August 11. These include Rep. Ralph Norman, Rep. Russell Fry, businessman Mark Lynch, and attorney Duke Buckner [1, 3, 7, 4, 6]. Ralph Norman launched his Senate bid shortly after Lindsey Graham's death around July 17 or 18, despite not receiving Trump’s endorsement; Trump chose to back Darline Graham instead [2, 3, 7, 8]. Norman has meanwhile gained endorsements from Senators Rick Scott and Mike Lee [2, 3, 8]. Norman said, "He decided to go with Darline, who’s a nice person, and he decided to go with her and I respect that, but that doesn’t deter my plans. I’m in this to win." [3]
Representative Russell Fry entered the Senate race on July 20, positioning himself as a conservative MAGA candidate [1, 7, 6]. Rep. Nancy Mace, initially a potential candidate, announced on August 6 she would not run and endorsed Ralph Norman. Mace said her decision was due to commitments elsewhere and criticized Fry’s potential House seat vacancy if he wins the Senate race [5, 8]. Mace stated, "I'm not running for the U.S. Senate, not because I'm backing down from a fight, but because the one I'm already in matters right now…" and praised Norman as a "tried-and-true conservative warrior" [5, 8].
Republican consultant Dave Wilson noted Trump's endorsement of Darline Graham was "very symbolic" but did not carry as much weight as expected, as other prominent Republicans continue to contest the seat [7, 6]. The GOP primary winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election [2, 1].
If no candidate wins a majority on August 11, a runoff election is scheduled for August 25 [2, 1, 7].
The special primary will determine which Republican will complete Lindsey Graham’s term and stand in November’s general election for the full six-year Senate term.
