South Carolina Republicans pick Graham successor as Minnesota Democrats split

South Carolina Republicans are choosing a replacement for the late Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat, forcing a crowded special primary only weeks after he had already won renomination for a fifth term in June. The winner will go on to face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November, with a runoff set for August 25 if no candidate clears a majority.

The South Carolina field has drawn several familiar Republican names, including Rep. Russell Fry, former Gov. Mark Sanford and Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nardone. The race was set in motion by Graham’s death last month, turning what had been a routine renomination into an unusual late-summer contest for a seat Republicans are expected to keep but must still defend on a compressed schedule.

Minnesota’s Senate primary is providing a different kind of test for Democrats, pitting the party’s moderate and progressive wings against each other in a competitive contest between Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig. Bernie Sanders said on Sunday that he expected the race to be tight and said he hoped Flanagan would win, sharpening the contrast between the two camps as Democrats weigh which message can travel in a high-stakes general election year.

The Minnesota contest carries extra weight because the state was convulsed by the Trump administration’s deadly immigration crackdown this winter, giving the primary a sharper edge for voters and strategists alike. Flanagan’s allies see an opening for a more outspoken progressive pitch, while Craig is running as the more moderate option in a state that has often rewarded pragmatism as much as activism.

Wisconsin is adding another clue about where Democrats may be headed. Progressive candidates for governor were making their final push ahead of Tuesday’s election, with Francesca Hong, David Crowley, Kelda Roys and Joel Brennan among the main names in the field. Mandela Barnes also figured prominently in the race before one Wisconsin report said he had dropped out, leaving the contest to continue without one of its most recognizable candidates.

Taken together, the three primaries show a party still sorting out how far it wants to lean into ideological clarity versus broader electability. In South Carolina, Republicans are deciding how to preserve Graham’s seat without his name on the ballot; in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Democrats are using two different primaries to settle the argument over whether moderation or progressivism has the stronger claim on 2026.