The US president has indicated he is considering a candidate to fill the seat of the late South Carolina senator.
The damage suffered by the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate due to Lindsey Graham’s death will not last long.
Republicans now hold 52 seats in the 100-member House after losing Graham late Saturday to a “short-term, sudden illness,” according to his office.
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But South Carolina election law gives Republican Governor Henry McMaster the power to immediately appoint a replacement to fill Graham’s seat.
“In the event of a vacancy in the office of a United States senator due to death, resignation, or other cause, the Governor may fill the office by appointment,” the law states.
Mr. Graham’s term was scheduled to expire in January. He was running for re-election in the November midterm vote.
A primary election will be held next month to determine who will succeed him as the Republican candidate. The first round of voting is scheduled for August 11th, and if no candidate receives a majority of votes, a runoff election will be held on August 25th.
Mr. McMaster issued a short statement memorializing Mr. Graham but did not discuss plans for his replacement. The law does not set a deadline for appointments, but the governor is likely to fill the seat quickly to avoid blocking President Donald Trump’s policies in the Senate.
Mr. Graham was one of Mr. Trump’s closest allies on Capitol Hill.
In a statement, McMaster called the late senator “South Carolina and America’s fiercest warrior and a loyal and steadfast friend.”
“Our thoughts are with Darling, her family and her dedicated staff,” McMaster said of Graham’s sister. “May God hold him tenderly in the palm of his hand. We will never meet his like again.”
It is currently unclear who McMaster will choose to replace Graham. The governor could appoint an alternative candidate to fill the seat without seeking a full term in the November midterm elections to avoid disrupting the electoral process.
There is also the possibility of choosing someone to run for the full term. This would give the candidate incumbency, increase their visibility and, in turn, increase their chances at the polls.
Other governors face similar dilemmas. In California, for example, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom pursued both paths in separate appointments in recent years.
When Kamala Harris vacates her Senate seat to become vice president of the United States in 2021, Newsom nominated state Rep. Alex Padilla to replace her. Padilla won a special election for the seat the following year.
But after Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in 2023, Newsom appointed political operative LaFonza Butler, who ended up not running in the 2024 election.
But in Mr. Graham’s case, the White House may intervene. Trump has indicated he is considering running a candidate to replace him in the Senate.
“There are some people who think it’s great, but I don’t want to talk about Lindsay right now because it’s too early,” the president told NBC News.
“I don’t want to talk about anyone, but there are some people I think are really good.”
South Carolina, a southern state on the United States’ Atlantic coast, has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Trump won the state by nearly 18 percentage points in 2024.
But polls suggest Mr. Graham is not seeking re-election. His Democratic opponent, pediatrician Annie Andrews, was closing the gap on him.
A poll conducted by Impact Research in June showed the late senator with just a 3% lead.
Mr. Graham’s fierce devotion to Israel and support for the U.S.-Israel war against Iran had made him unpopular among Republican voters.
On Sunday, Mr. Andrews praised Mr. Graham without mentioning the election or politics.
“I hope South Carolinians will join me in putting aside partisanship and expressing gratitude for Sen. Lindsey Graham’s contributions to our great state of South Carolina,” she said in a statement.
