‘Fiercely independent’ South Carolina votes on Lindsey Graham’s Senate successor

Republicans, including Graham’s sister Darline, expedite campaigns to replace late senator in special primary race I n the race to replace the late US senator Lindsey Graham, 10 candidates have been barnstorming South Carolina diners, church halls and recreation centers, compressing a normal year of campaigning into about a fortnight. The Republican party is staging a special primary election in the state on Tuesday to choose Graham’s replacement. His sister, Darline, who has been serving as interim senator following his sudden death last month, is on the ballot. If no candidate wins an overall majority of votes, the top two will advance to a runoff on 25 August. On Monday morning, Darline Graham shook hands at Lizard’s Thicket breakfast restaurant, 2 miles away.

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Scoop News DeskSouth Carolina · Published Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTCUpdated Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 1:54 PM UTC

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Trump’s endorsement is important, but it is not decisive, according to Frank Tiller, the chair of the Spartanburg county Republican party. “It’s very important, but a lot of people are saying Donald Trump does not know South Carolina politics,” Tiller said. “South Carolina politics is different from a lot of places. Norman ran unsuccessfully for South Carolina governor earlier this year, and while he did not advance to the runoff, the infrastructure of his campaign was still largely intact when Graham died.

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