Lindsey Graham is gone. The longtime South Carolina senator, Trump ally, and foreign policy hawk died suddenly on July 11 from an aortic dissection at age 71, just weeks after winning renomination and months before the general election. His death triggered a scramble that has turned the race for his seat into a compressed, high-stakes Republican free-for-all.
Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, to serve the remainder of the term through early January. She is seeking the full six-year term that begins in 2027. Filing closed July 28. The special Republican primary is August 11, with a runoff on August 25 if no one clears 50 percent. The winner faces Democrat Annie Andrews in November.
BREAKING: Sen. Darline Graham announced her campaign to succeed her late brother in the U.S. Senate, pledging to defend the sanctity of life, keep men out of women’s sports, and ensure only U.S. citizens can vote. pic.twitter.com/rVYbB32sg3
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 30, 2026
The Republican Field: Nine Contenders, One Brutal Sprint
Twelve people filed. The state Republican Party certified nine after barring three who failed residency or prior primary voting requirements. Here is the field that matters.
Darline Graham Lindsey’s younger sister, born in 1964 in Central, South Carolina. Their parents ran a restaurant-bar-pool hall and died within 15 months of each other when she was a young teen. Lindsey became her legal guardian and later adopted her so she could receive military benefits while he served in the Air Force. She has never held elected office. She worked as an optician, at Clemson, for the Postal Service, and for years in state vocational rehabilitation before leading the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. She holds a bachelor’s from the College of Charleston and a master’s in rehabilitation counseling from South Carolina State University. Trump gave her his complete endorsement. She is the only woman ever to represent South Carolina in the Senate, even if only for a few months so far.
Ralph Norman Five-term U.S. representative from the 5th District, Freedom Caucus vice chair, and hard-edged fiscal and social conservative. He ran for governor in the June primary and finished out of the money. Norman has positioned himself as the America First fighter ready to deliver on Trump’s agenda, including ending the filibuster if needed. He entered the race despite Trump’s endorsement of Graham and has collected endorsements from House colleagues and law enforcement.
Russell Fry U.S. representative from the 7th District covering the Grand Strand and Pee Dee since 2022. He defeated a longtime incumbent who voted to impeach Trump. Before that he served seven years in the state House. Fry is running simultaneously for reelection to the House and the Senate seat. He emphasizes affordability, gas and grocery prices, and delivering conservative results rather than just votes.
Mark Sanford Former two-term governor (2003–2011) and former U.S. representative from the 1st District. The fiscal hawk whose career was derailed by the 2009 “Appalachian Trail” scandal is back for another try. He briefly entered the 1st District House race earlier this year before dropping out. His pitch centers on the national debt and protecting the American Dream for the next generation. He remains a known quantity with name recognition that cuts both ways.
Mark Lynch Greenville businessman and owner of Jeff Lynch Appliance Center. He poured roughly $5 million of his own money into the June primary against Graham and finished a distant second with nearly 29 percent. Lynch is the self-described non-politician who wants to “bring the U.S. Senate seat of South Carolina back to TRUE Conservative leadership.” He is expected to self-fund heavily again.
The remaining four are longer shots: Duke Buckner, a Walterboro attorney who twice challenged Jim Clyburn in the 6th District and posted the strongest Republican percentages there in years; Mark McBride, former Myrtle Beach mayor (1998–2005) who has run statewide before; Samuel Shepherd, a Lexington County biomedical engineer and entrepreneur; and Glenda Gail Parker, a retired Air Force officer and Defense Department budget analyst.
And the race for SOUTH CAROLINA CITIZENS seat in the U.S. Senate is underway, with a messy group of candidates vying for the GOP nomination. pic.twitter.com/MjeyUaYgN5
— Check It Out 💙 (@CheckItOutDR) July 29, 2026
The Democrat
Annie Andrews is the Democratic nominee. A Charleston pediatrician and mother of three, she won the June Democratic primary with 61.5 percent. She has raised more than $10 million, built a volunteer army, and focused on health care costs, prescription drugs, childcare, and vaccine policy. She was running a long-shot challenge against Graham; his death changes the opponent but not the structural problem. South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since Fritz Hollings in 1998.
Where the Race Stands
An Emerson College poll of likely Republican primary voters conducted July 28–29 shows Ralph Norman at 22 percent, Darline Graham at 19 percent, Russell Fry at 12 percent, Mark Sanford at 11 percent, and Mark Lynch at 7 percent, with about a quarter still undecided. An earlier mid-July survey had Graham slightly ahead. Neither is close to 50 percent. A runoff is the most likely outcome.
Trump’s endorsement helps Graham with some voters and leaves others cold. Roughly half of primary voters say it makes no difference. Norman’s base is younger and more Freedom Caucus-oriented. Fry owns the coastal turf. Sanford appeals to the fiscal restraint crowd that never fully trusted Graham. Lynch has the money and the residual anti-Graham vote from June.
Likely Republican Nominee, Democrat, and November Winner
The Republican nominee will almost certainly emerge from a runoff between Norman and Graham, or possibly Fry if he consolidates the eastern part of the state. Norman has the harder edge and institutional conservative support. Graham has the family name, the appointment, and the president’s blessing. Either one – or Fry – will be the nominee.
Annie Andrews is the certain Democratic nominee. She is polished, well-funded, and running a modern campaign. She is also running in a state that remains solidly Republican at the federal level.
The likely winner in November is the Republican. South Carolina’s partisan lean has not suddenly flipped. Ratings still list the seat as Solid or Likely Republican. The Democrat needs a perfect storm of low Republican turnout, a deeply damaged GOP nominee, and national Democratic overperformance that has not appeared in recent cycles here. Barring that, the seat stays red. The only real question is which Republican walks away with it after the August bloodletting.