Darline Graham Files for South Carolina Senate Seat

Senator Darline Graham officially filed on Friday to run for the full U.S. Senate term previously held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham. Appointed to the seat by Governor Henry McMaster on July 13, Graham is the first woman and first HBCU graduate to represent South Carolina in the Senate and carries the backing of Donald Trump.

Graham is one of nine Republicans who have entered the race. Other candidates who filed include Congressmen Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, while former Governor Mark Sanford is campaigning across the state and expects to file by Tuesday. Fry has focused his campaign on economic pressures facing families, while Sanford has criticized the federal government's unsustainable financial path.

The South Carolina Election Commission has scheduled a special Republican primary for August 11, with early voting from August 5 to August 7 and a potential runoff on August 25. A candidate debate is set for August 3. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in the general election this November.

In separate political developments, the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee selected South Carolina to lead the 2028 presidential nominating schedule. This decision prioritizes racially diverse states over traditional early sites like Iowa.