Graham's death triggers South Carolina GOP primary and Senate replacement process

Lindsey Graham’s death set off two separate election processes in South Carolina: a special Republican primary on Aug. 11 to choose a new nominee, and an interim Senate appointment that Gov. Henry McMaster can make while the vacancy is filled. Graham died on July 11 after a brief and sudden illness, less than six months before the end of the term he was already serving.

South Carolina law requires a special primary when a party nominee dies after winning the nomination, and Graham had done exactly that in June, when he secured the GOP line for a race that was expected to pit him against Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews in November. Candidate filing opens on the second Tuesday after the vacancy occurs and remains open for one week. If no candidate wins a majority in the special primary, the party holds a runoff two weeks later.

The calendar is tight because the replacement nominee must be certified at least two weeks before the general election to appear on the November ballot. If certification comes later than that deadline, the office would be decided through a special election after the general election instead. Graham’s term was scheduled to end on Jan. 3, 2027, and he was seeking a fifth term after serving in the U.S. Senate since January 2003.

The 17th Amendment and South Carolina law allow McMaster to appoint an interim senator to serve until a successor is elected and qualified. That means the seat does not have to sit empty while the party and state move through the replacement timeline, though the long-term occupant will still be determined by voters.

The National Conference of State Legislatures counts 15 states that require an accelerated special election for a Senate vacancy.

McMaster said he and his family were devastated, while Andrews urged a pause in partisanship as South Carolina begins the process of replacing one of its most enduring Republican figures.