By MEG KINNARD Associated Press and Thomas Hyslip
WASHINGTON — Twelve Republican candidates filed their paperwork by Tuesday to compete in a special primary to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, launching a two-week sprint toward the Aug. 11 contest for one of South Carolina’s most closely held Senate seats.
Graham won his June primary outright before his sudden death this month at age 71, cutting short what had been expected to be a smooth path to a fifth term. No Democrat has won a statewide-elected office in South Carolina in two decades, making the Republican nomination the prize in this race.
The one-week filing period closed Tuesday, the same day as the first of two funerals held across Washington and Graham’s home state. If no candidate receives a majority on Aug. 11, a runoff will be held Aug. 25.
Graham’s Sister Steps Into the Race
Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to serve in her brother’s Senate seat until January. Now she is running for the nomination to hold the seat beyond that.
Darline Graham spent years as her brother’s political confidant, appearing in his campaign ads and at his side at rallies, but she has never sought office herself and is largely unknown to the South Carolina voters who sent her brother to Washington for decades. Questions have circulated in GOP circles over whether goodwill toward his memory is enough to carry her through.
President Donald Trump, to whom Graham was a top congressional ally, had endorsed Darline Graham before she publicly announced she would run. A person familiar with McMaster’s thinking, but not authorized to speak publicly, said the governor had never anticipated that she would seek the seat when he made the appointment.
Two House Members Enter the Contest
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, one of the most conservative members of the House and well known across South Carolina, entered the race after an unsuccessful primary run for governor. He has collected endorsements from fellow House members, including Rep. Nancy Mace, and from law enforcement officials across the state.
U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, whose district covers the Myrtle Beach area, entered shortly after. Trump had previously suggested he could support a Fry candidacy before Darline Graham’s emergence and their Oval Office meeting following her swearing in. Fry is working to raise his name recognition beyond his home district while promoting himself as a supporter of Trump’s policies.
Sanford Returns, and Others Round Out the Field
Former South Carolina congressman and governor Mark Sanford, whose political rise was interrupted by a 2009 affair, is attempting yet another return to public office. He entered the special primary just three months after shutting down a campaign to retake his former U.S. House seat, saying at the time he was leaving to set up a nonprofit focused on the national debt.
Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman who challenged Graham in the regular June primary, relaunched his campaign shortly after Graham’s death and is expected to put significant personal money into the effort.
The remaining candidates are Duke Buckner, a Walterboro attorney and perennial candidate who has previously challenged Rep. Jim Clyburn; Danny Ford II, a farmer from Central and son of former Clemson football coach Danny Ford; Mark McBride, the former mayor of Myrtle Beach; Darius Mitchell of Columbia, who calls himself a “Hip Hop Republican”; Clark Neilson, a Charlotte businessman who says he is in the process of establishing South Carolina residency on land he owns in Charleston County; Glenda Gail Parker, a retired Air Force officer and recent Myrtle Beach transplant who calls herself a conservative independent; and Sam Shepherd, a Lexington County biomedical engineer running on a platform of cutting taxes and federal spending.
The Democratic Nominee Is Already Set
Dr. Annie Andrews, a Charleston physician, won the Democratic primary in June. She built her entire campaign around challenging Graham and will soon learn who her general election opponent will be.
The special primary is Aug. 11. If a runoff is needed, it will be held Aug. 25.
The Associated Press writer contributed to this report.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
