Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, says she’ll run for full Senate term

Washington — Sen. Darline Graham, who is serving out the remainder of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s term in the Senate, said Monday that she will seek a full term for the South Carolina seat her brother held for more than two decades. 

“I’ve made a decision,” Graham said on Fox News. “I’m in.”

The late senator, who died on July 11, had secured the GOP nomination in June for what would have been his fifth term representing South Carolina. With his death, the Republican candidate in the South Carolina Senate race will be determined by a special primary election. Republicans seeking the Senate seat may file between July 21 and July 28, before an Aug. 11 primary to decide who will take on Democrat Annie Andrews in November.

Graham, 62, was sworn in last week, after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term, which runs through early January. Graham, who doesn’t have a background in elected office, had a career in disabilities services and most recently served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. She said upon accepting the appointment that finishing her brother’s term “is what Lindsey would have wanted,” noting that she planned to “honor him in this way.”

President Trump publicly encouraged Graham to run for a six-year term, writing in a post on Truth Social after meeting with her at the White House last week that she would have his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”

“I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey,” Mr. Trump said. 

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Graham said, “I have been praying a lot, talking to my family.”

“I know I’m a hard worker. I learned that from Lindsey,” she said. “I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it. Will it be difficult? Yes. Absolutely.”

The president’s endorsement hasn’t stopped other Republicans from announcing their intention to run for the six-year term. Rep. Ralph Norman, who’s represented South Carolina in the House since 2017, announced a bid on Saturday. And Rep. Russell Fry, who was elected to the House in 2022, announced his candidacy on Monday. 

If no candidate secures a majority of the vote in the special primary election, a runoff will be held on Aug. 25.