Graham’s death opens fight over South Carolina Senate seat
Gov. Henry McMaster can appoint a temporary successor as Republicans face a compressed special primary before November, Bloomberg reported.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death has opened an urgent fight over who will hold South Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat and who will run for it in November. Bloomberg reported that the vacancy could unsettle a race in a reliably Republican state less than four months before the midterm elections.
Graham died Saturday after a “brief and sudden illness,” his office said, according to Bloomberg. He had turned 71 two days earlier and was scheduled to face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in the general election.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, has the power to appoint someone to serve the rest of Graham’s term, Bloomberg reported. The state’s election rules then require a special primary, a process Bloomberg said could produce a fast-moving Republican contest while Andrews remains the Democratic candidate.
President Donald Trump said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press that he had someone in mind for the seat, Bloomberg reported. Trump said he did not want to name the person because it was too soon after Graham’s death, while adding that he thought the person was “really good.”
Bloomberg reported that Trump had endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in her unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination for governor. Bloomberg said it was not known whether Evette is interested in the Senate vacancy.
Possible Republican field begins to take shape
Rep. Joe Wilson, South Carolina’s senior House member, said he would not seek the Senate appointment, according to a social media post cited by Bloomberg. Wilson said he had spoken with Trump on Sunday and told the president he wanted to stay in the House to help preserve the GOP’s two-vote majority.
Bloomberg reported that a person familiar with Wilson’s thinking had earlier said Wilson was interested in the Senate seat. Wilson’s public statement took him out of the mix.
Alan Wilson, Joe Wilson’s son, won South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary last month, Bloomberg reported. Bloomberg described him as the likely winner in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since 1998.
Among the candidates Alan Wilson defeated were Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, both of whom Bloomberg reported could become contenders for the Senate seat. Bloomberg said their offices did not respond to requests for comment.
Other South Carolina Republicans who could be mentioned for the opening include former Rep. Trey Gowdy and former Gov. Nikki Haley, Bloomberg reported. Haley also served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Trump’s first term and challenged him for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, according to Bloomberg.
Senate math tightens
Bloomberg reported that Graham’s death, along with the extended hospitalization of Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, reduces the Republican Senate majority at least temporarily. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of the chamber, according to Bloomberg.
Andrews is still considered an underdog in South Carolina, Bloomberg reported, but the outlet said the election year could favor candidates who present themselves as outsiders and speak effectively about affordability. Graham, a close Trump ally, supported the Iran war, which Bloomberg reported had raised gasoline prices and was broadly unpopular with voters.
Andrews responded Sunday by calling for people to set aside partisanship and show gratitude for Graham’s service to South Carolina, according to a social media post cited by Bloomberg.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.