COLUMBIA, S.C. — Republican voters across South Carolina went to the polls Tuesday to select their nominee for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham.
President Trump has endorsed Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed last month by Gov. Henry McMaster to complete her late brother’s term. Graham has used her brief Senate tenure to vote on high-profile measures in Washington, including the confirmation of Attorney General Todd Blanche and a sanctions bill long championed by her brother to target buyers of Russian oil and gas.
Despite Trump’s backing, several GOP voters say they respect the endorsement but prefer other options in a crowded primary field. That dynamic raises the real possibility no candidate will win an outright majority; state rules would then send the top two vote-getters to a runoff on Aug. 25.
Graham, who has been campaigning intensively, has framed her candidacy around personal resilience and attention to everyday family concerns. After a campaign event in Florence she said the schedule has been “absolutely brutal,” but added, “I’m still standing, I’m still going and that shows you how strong I am.” She has emphasized cost-of-living issues and portrayed herself as someone who understands family budgets, while saying national security remains important.
At a Monday tele-rally, Trump called Graham the best choice to advance his administration’s priorities, saying she is “tough and strong” and well suited to carry on Lindsey Graham’s legacy.
Several well-known Republican elected officials are competing against Graham, highlighting their governing experience. Rep. Ralph Norman, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, has cast himself as a fiscal hawk who would push for deficit cuts in the Senate. Norman, who ran in the state’s GOP gubernatorial primary in June, argues the Senate is where good bills often fail and says he would support the president’s America First agenda. He has drawn endorsements from GOP Sens. Mike Lee and Rick Scott.
Rep. Russell Fry, who won his House seat in 2022, is defending his conservative credentials after criticism that his Senate bid is insufficiently aligned with MAGA. Fry dismisses that as distraction, saying competition is healthy for the conservative movement.
Former congressman and governor Mark Sanford is also in the race. First elected to the House in the 1994 Republican wave alongside Lindsey Graham, Sanford later served two terms as governor and returned to the House before losing the GOP gubernatorial primary in 2018. He remains a vocal critic of the growing national debt and has highlighted his executive experience as evidence he can deliver tough budget cuts. In a nod to a prior publicity stunt, Sanford brought two piglets to the Statehouse and said his record of making hard cuts separates him from other candidates.
The crowding at the top has produced a wide range of campaign styles and appeals. Over three days last week, about 61,000 Republican voters cast early ballots, according to the South Carolina State Election Commission. In Oconee County, where Lindsey Graham cast his last ballot, early voting opened with familiar divisions among voters who had previously supported the late senator.
Voters interviewed at early voting sites said personal assessments of candidates and experience often outweighed endorsements. Robert Herron, a longtime Graham backer, said he liked Sanford’s record on spending and found himself choosing between Sanford and Darline Graham because of their differing backgrounds. Frank Owens said he was drawn to Darline Graham’s debate performance and demeanor, and appreciated that she had the president’s support. Gigi Vray of Charleston said the Trump endorsement matters, but she also noted demographic changes in the state and favored Sanford as someone who best represents South Carolina.
In Republican-leaning districts like Rep. Fry’s 7th Congressional District, which includes Horry County and Myrtle Beach, voters were split. Deborah Dowd said she chose Darline Graham after watching the debate and feeling she would continue the late senator’s work.
The GOP nominee will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in the November midterm. Given South Carolina’s strong Republican tilt, the winner of the GOP primary is widely viewed as the favorite in the general election. But with a packed field and the potential for a runoff, the final matchup may not be decided for weeks beyond Tuesday’s vote.