Updated July 19, 2026, 12:35 p.m. ET
Sen. Darline Graham received a coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump as she considers a bid to replace her older brother, Lindsey Graham, who died July 11, in the South Carolina race for her seat.
“RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday, July 17. Graham, 62, “has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement,” the president wrote.
One major snag lies ahead for the newly minted senator: Other potential hopefuls seem unmoved by Trump’s backing of the untested political candidate as Graham seeks to honor her only sibling, who was 71 at the time of his death.
The filing period for a full six-year term in a special primary lasts from July 21 to July 28 and the election is slated for Aug. 11. The Palmetto State’s abbreviated primary race will continue to test Trump’s influence in the reliably red state. Trump eventually endorsed the state’s attorney general, Alan Wilson, in the June 23 gubernatorial runoff after his original handpicked candidate, Pamela Evette, lagged in the polls. Evette ultimately lost the race by 37 points.
House members looking for a job promotion have jumped into the race despite Trump’s support of Graham. Rep. Ralph Norman announced a run July 18 while his House colleague, Rep. Russell Fry, teased a “big decision” with his family while asking for prayers earlier that day. South Carolina businessman Mark Lynch also declared his candidacy. Rep. Nancy Mace, who placed last in the five-way June gubernatorial primary, teased a run in the wake of Graham’s death but has since retreated from directly discussing her plans in public.
Originally seen as a placeholder for her brother’s seat, Graham has seemingly impressed Senate colleagues. Her South Carolina counterpart, Sen. Tim Scott, asked “why not her?” when questioned by reporters about a potential run, and Alabama Sen. Katie Britt has not yet endorsed Graham but said on social media that she has exhibited “grace and purpose.” Both senators escorted Graham for her ceremonial swearing-in on July 14 by Sen. Chuck Grassley.
The winner of the Republican primary election will face Annie Andrews, a Democrat and physician who lost a 2022 congressional race to Mace.
Graham, a mom-of-two and commissioner on the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, was adopted by her brother at 13 after losing both of their parents 15 months apart during her childhood. She made appearances in his campaign ads and supported her brother during his short-lived candidacy for the presidency in 2016.
Graham, also known by her marital surname Graham Nordone, has remained mum on her plans but hinted at a run in a recent “open letter” addressed to South Carolina citizens on July 18. “Now, it’s time for me to step up for South Carolina, just like he stepped up for me when our parents died,” she wrote.
Trump’s endorsement likely to carry significant weight in South Carolina
Graham’s decision to run for a full term would help prevent issues for House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson. Current House members, who won their elections June 3, are able to run in the Senate race by law, according to the South Carolina Election Commission.
A House member’s win may affect the razor-thin Republican majority come next year. One congressman from South Carolina has already endorsed Graham despite the fact that she has yet to enter the race.
Rep. William Timmons, a golfing buddy of the elder Sen. Graham, said on X that “President Trump has chosen his candidate and I support his choice,” calling it “a fitting tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham’s legacy.” Timmons added that he was “proud to call her a friend and look forward to campaigning for her during the next few weeks!”
Trump has wielded enormous influence during this midterm election cycle. He endorsed primary challengers to incumbent Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas and also ousted outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie in a Kentucky primary race that garnered national attention.
