By admin 
The sudden death of Lindsey Graham left the Republican Party without a nominee, but South Carolinians will choose his potential successor to the U.S. Senate next month.
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Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, U.S. Reps. Nancy Mace and Russell Fry and former candidate Mark Lynch are among the names being floated as contenders.
The Republican special primary election is August 11. If one candidate does not receive more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will occur Aug. 25.
Potential candidates have very little time to determine whether they want to run in a rare window for an open U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina, all while mourning one of the state’s political powerhouses.
Graham was first elected to the senate in 2002, and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott began as an appointed post in 2013. Republican and Democratic challenges against the duo have been unsuccessful, keeping the state with the same senators for more than a decade.
Graham, who was a close ally of President Donald Trump and held powerful leadership positions in the U.S. Senate, died Saturday evening. A preliminary report found he died of an aortic dissection — a tear in the aorta— due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to the medical examiner of the District of Columbia.
Darline Graham Nordone, the senior senator’s younger sister, will finish out his term, which ends Jan. 3, 2027. It’s unclear if she will run for Graham’s seat.
The winner of the August Republican primary will compete against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews.
Here’s some of the potential candidates who may jump into the U.S. Senate race:
The unsuccessful candidates for governor
Several South Carolinians are fresh off a statewide run for office after the gubernatorial primary in June. Some of the Republicans who lost may still have the organization and name recognition to set themselves up for a speedy campaign, said Scott Huffmon, a professor of political science at Winthrop University.
“The fact that this is coming up so quickly means the people who can hit the ground running the fastest are those who have a campaign organization already in place,” Huffmon said.
Evette finished first in the June 9 primary but lost decisively to Attorney General Alan Wilson in the runoff election. She has not made a decision on whether to run for U.S. Senate, a person close to her said Monday morning. She has been getting messages encouraging her to run, they said.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman is not running for reelection to his House seat and finished third in the primary. Bloomberg Government reported the congressman was weighing a run. Norman did not respond to requests for comment Monday from a McClatchy reporter.
Mace is also considering a run, a person close to her gubernatorial campaign said Monday morning. She finished fifth in the Republican primary for governor.
Mace posted a clip from “The Godfather Part III” with the caption “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in…” Sunday morning.
Isle of Palms businessman Rom Reddy ruled out a run for U.S. Senate on social media Monday.
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Members of Congress
In addition to Norman and Mace, other members of congress, who have campaign apparatuses for the midterms, may also consider a run for Graham’s seat.
Several media reports identified Fry as a potential candidate for the Republican nomination. A spokesperson for Fry’s congressional campaign declined to comment Monday morning.
Huffmon said Fry, a 41-year-old congressman representing the Myrtle Beach area, “looks like somebody who could be successful pushing Trump’s agenda.”
“Fry is well thought of,” Huffmon said. “He’s got the kind of voting record that would be good there. He has shown a solid base and being popular among a group that is very Trump supportive and friendly, the Republicans there in Horry County.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson appeared to shut the door to a U.S. Senate bid, posting on his campaign and congressional accounts that he intends to stay in the House.
“I was grateful to speak with President Trump today reminiscing about our mutual friend, Senator Lindsey Graham,” Wilson’s campaign account posted Sunday. “I assured him my goal is to remain in the House to keep his two-vote majority for the American people!!!”
Other potential contenders
A spokesperson for Mark Lynch, who unsuccessfully ran against Graham earlier this year, said the Upstate businessman would compete for the Republican nomination again and pour another $5 million into the effort.
“I’m committed to finish what God has called us to since February of 2025,” said Lynch in a Monday afternoon social media post.
Four other candidates ran against Graham earlier this summer: Calvin Cowen of Spartanburg County, York County motivational speaker Thomas Dismukes, Horry County business owner Patrick Herrmann and Columbia social media influencer Darius Mitchell.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley took her name out of the running for the U.S. Senate race Sunday evening.
“Nikki and Michael were shocked and saddened by the passing of Senator Graham,” a spokesperson for Haley said in a texted statement. “They will continue to lift his family up in prayer. While she has been blessed to serve her state and country as Governor, UN Ambassador and as a candidate for President, she has no plans to run for office at this time. “
Filing for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate opens at noon July 21 and closes July 28.
McClatchy reporters Joseph Bustos and Nora O’Neill contributed reporting to this article
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