South Carolina Republicans are now reportedly making their final push to enter the race for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat, with candidates facing a noon EDT Tuesday deadline to file for the upcoming special primary election.
The filing period opened on July 21 ahead of the Aug. 11 Republican special primary, giving hopefuls several weeks to officially enter what has become a crowded contest. As of Monday, ten Republican candidates had completed the filing process. The deadline for additional candidates to enter the race is 12 p.m. EDT Tuesday.
Voters will have an opportunity to cast ballots early from Aug. 5 through Aug. 7 before the primary election. If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election scheduled for Aug. 25.
The Republican nominee will go on to face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election.
The filing deadline comes on the same day that political leaders from around the world are gathering in Washington, D.C., to honor Graham during his funeral service. President Donald Trump is expected to speak about the senator, who evolved from being a former political rival to one of the president’s longtime allies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are also expected to attend the service.
Graham died unexpectedly on July 11 after suffering an aortic dissection, just two days after celebrating his 71st birthday.
Following the senator’s death, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, to serve out the remainder of his Senate term. She soon launched her own campaign to seek a full six-year term after President Trump encouraged her to enter the race.
Darline Graham has also received the endorsement of the Republican Jewish Coalition as she seeks to secure the Republican nomination.
The field of Republican candidates has continued to grow in recent days, highlighted by former South Carolina Gov. and former Rep. Mark Sanford entering the race last week. Sanford, who frequently criticized Trump during the president’s first term and briefly challenged him during the 2020 Republican presidential primary, said he could no longer remain on the sidelines.
In a campaign advertisement, Sanford pointed to the nation’s financial outlook as the reason for entering the contest.
“Our country is at a financial tipping point, and I can’t sit on the sidelines while Washington adds a trillion dollars to the debt every 100 days,” Sanford said.
Several other Republicans have also filed to compete for the seat, including Rep. Russell Fry, attorney Duke Buckner, businessman Mark Lynch, Rep. Ralph Norman, former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, businessman Clark Neilson, engineer Samuel Shepherd, and Columbia resident Darius Mitchell. Lynch previously mounted an unsuccessful challenge against Graham during the initial June primary.
Meanwhile, Rep. Nancy Mace announced she would not seek the Senate seat herself. Instead, she endorsed fellow Republican Ralph Norman, a move that again put her at odds with President Trump as the race to replace Lindsey Graham enters its next phase.
