A last-minute push to find a Republican candidate to vie for Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat has begun after the South Carolina lawmaker died from a “brief and sudden illness” on July 11.
The 71-year-old, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, was running for reelection this fall after scoring the Republican nomination in a landslide victory in the state’s primary on June 9.
Graham won the nomination just over a month ago with 56.8 percent of the vote as businessman Mark Lynch trailed far behind in second place with 28.9 percent.
Lynch shared his condolences on social media Sunday morning but did not reveal if he planned to re-enter the race.
South Carolina law has a pre-established timeline that election officials must follow if a party nominee dies, including swiftly adding a special primary election to take place ahead of the general election.
“The filing period for this special primary election opens the second Tuesday after the death, disqualification, or approval of the resignation for one week,” the law states.
Candidates will be allowed to file paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate seat between July 21 and July 28, for the six-year term that begins in January 2027.
A special primary election will likely happen on “the second Tuesday immediately following the close of the filing period,” per state law.
If necessary, a runoff election will be held two weeks after the primary.
The winner of the Republican primary will face off against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, this fall in the general election.
Andrews encouraged South Carolinians to set aside partisanship and offer gratitude to Graham for his decades of service to their state and nation.
“My deepest condolences are with the family of Senator Lindsey Graham, his friends, his devoted staff and all who are grieving this sudden and tremendous loss,” Andrews wrote in a social media post on July 12.
Before Graham’s death, the Cook Political Report predicted Graham was the favorite to win the general election against Andrews in the fall.
As for immediately filling the seat for the remainder of Graham’s current term, which ends on Jan. 3, 2027, South Carolina law allows the governor, Republican Henry McMaster, to select a person to serve out the final months of the term.
The law did not specify how fast the governor needed to act.
McMaster released a statement on Sunday suggesting he and his family were “devastated” by Graham’s death.
“May God hold him gently in the palm of his hand, McMaster wrote. “We shall not see his likes again.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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