South Carolina Republicans cast ballots in special primary for Graham's seat

Trump-endorsed newcomer Darline Graham faces experience questions

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Republicans are casting ballots Tuesday in a special primary to pick a replacement for the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a contest held just two months after the party nominated the president’s close ally to return to the Senate.

Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, was tapped to serve out the final months of her brother’s term and is now seeking the seat in her own right. A political unknown, she is trying to overcome skepticism about her lack of experience as she campaigns to replace him.

Her effort has drawn a swift endorsement from President Donald Trump. Even so, the rare open Senate seat has attracted a broad field, including some of the state’s top Republicans.

Tuesday’s contest brings together one of Lindsey Graham’s intraparty foes from earlier this year, two U.S. House members, and Mark Sanford, the former governor and congressman who is seeking a political comeback in a field crowded with familiar faces.

The race is the latest turn in a political tradition in which South Carolina voters have for decades reliably returned Lindsey Graham to Washington despite periodic primary challengers who accused the dealmaker and foreign policy hawk of being insufficiently conservative.

The special primary will decide the Republican nominee for a seat the party has held for decades. Because of the state’s deep Republican lean, the winner is expected to be the favorite in the November general election that will fill the seat for a full term.

Darline Graham has spent much of the abbreviated campaign period in Washington, serving out the remainder of her brother’s term rather than campaigning across the state, and the race has lasted only a matter of weeks. Lindsey Graham’s death narrowed the Republican Senate majority, a constraint the party has been navigating in the months since he died.

MSI previously reported on Darline Graham entering the primary with Trump’s endorsement as the interim senator launched her abbreviated campaign. Tuesday’s vote decides whether that campaign carries the family name to a full term.