South Carolina Republicans are heading to the polls today for one of the state’s most unusual Senate elections in decades. Ten candidates are battling to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham after a campaign lasting only weeks.
The statewide special Republican primary follows Graham’s death in July, which triggered an extraordinarily compressed election schedule.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. today, Aug. 11. Anyone waiting in line at 7 p.m. can still vote.
If nobody receives more than 50% of the vote, the two leading candidates will advance to an Aug. 25 runoff.
The eventual Republican nominee will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Who is running?
The unusually crowded field includes several of South Carolina’s most recognizable Republican politicians.
Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, currently holds the Senate seat after Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her following her brother’s death.
A political newcomer, Graham enters Election Day with perhaps the race’s most consequential endorsement: President Donald Trump. Trump encouraged Graham to run and endorsed her campaign.
Russell Fry, who represents South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District, is campaigning as a Trump-aligned conservative focused on affordability, energy and economic issues.
Fry is also seeking reelection to his House seat, creating the possibility of appearing on November’s ballot for two federal offices.
Ralph Norman, the 73-year-old congressman representing the Rock Hill area, is also seeking the nomination.
Norman has been in politics most of his working life and has become widely known in the Charlotte area as the main proponent of the unlawful Silfab factory in Fort Mill.
Norman is the co-founder of the congressional solar caucus and has publicly admitted he pressured the York County Council to approve the project and has lied about Silfab’s chemicals and processes on multiple occasions.
Mark Sanford is attempting another political comeback after previously serving as South Carolina governor and a U.S. representative.
Sanford has centered his campaign largely around federal spending, deficits and the growing national debt.
Mark Lynch, a Greenville businessman, is making another Senate run after challenging Lindsey Graham earlier this year.
The remaining field includes Duke Buckner, Danny Lee Ford II, Mark McBride, Glenda Gail Parker and Samuel “Sam” Shepard.
Trump endorsement looms over race
Trump’s endorsement of Darline Graham has become one of the primary’s biggest storylines.
However, several opponents are also competing heavily for Trump-aligned Republican voters.
Fry has emphasized his relationship with the president, while Norman has pledged support for much of Trump’s agenda.
That dynamic leaves voters choosing among several candidates claiming conservative credentials rather than a traditional Trump-versus-establishment matchup.
The compressed campaign has also given candidates little time to introduce themselves statewide.
Graham’s family name and Trump endorsement provide immediate recognition. Meanwhile, Norman, Fry and Sanford enter with established political organizations and voting records.
With 10 candidates dividing the Republican electorate, today may only represent the first round.
If nobody crosses 50%, South Carolina Republicans will return to the polls Aug. 25 to decide which of the top two candidates advances to November.
Voters can verify their registration, sample ballot and polling location through the South Carolina Election Commission’s MySCVotes system.
