Election 2026: Third day of filing for Graham’s seat remains quiet

By Alan Wooten
The Center Square

Thursday’s third day of filing in South Carolina’s special election Republican primary for the U.S. Senate remained quiet.

According to the South Carolina Elections Commission website, at 5 p.m., a second day had passed with no new candidates. On Tuesday’s first day, Duke Buckner, Mark Lynch, Mark McBride, Clark Neilson and Samuel Shepherd all filed.

Sen. Lindsey Graham died July 11, two days after his 71st birthday. The filing period runs through noon on Tuesday of next week, and the primary follows two weeks later on Aug. 11.

The successful candidate in the primary will take Graham’s spot on the ballot on Nov. 3. Dr. Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician, is the Democratic opponent in November and is joined on the ballot by Libertarian Kasie Whitener.

Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nardone, to finish his term until the 120th Congress is seated in January. She has said she will file, backed for the six-year term by second-term Republican President Donald Trump.

Indicating they will also file are U.S. Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman. Former U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford is also considered a possibility to file. Rep. Nancy Mace said she will not.

Fry is running for reelection in the 7th Congressional District. Norman and Mace did not seek reelection, instead running for governor; each was knocked out of the Republican primary last month.