Darline Graham, the newly appointed U.S. senator from South Carolina, announced Monday that she will run for a full six-year term in her late brother Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat, entering an already crowded Republican primary race scheduled for August 11.
“I’ve made a decision. I’m in,” Graham told Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity in an interview released Monday. She added that she had been “praying a lot, talking to my family” about the decision, describing it as coming with “a tremendous amount of pressure” given tight filing deadlines and intense political dynamics.
Graham was sworn into the Senate just last week after South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed her to fill the vacancy created by her brother’s sudden death on July 11. She is South Carolina’s first female senator. Her decision to seek a full term came just days after President Donald Trump urged her to run, posting on Truth Social that he asked her during an Oval Office visit “for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary.” Trump pledged his “complete and total endorsement,” writing “RUN, DARLINE, RUN!”
The announcement surprised some influential South Carolina Republicans who believed Graham would only serve out the remaining months of her brother’s current term, which expires in January 2027. McMaster’s office indicated the governor had not contemplated at the time of her appointment that she would actually run as a candidate in the special primary election.
Graham, 62, has never held elected office but brings high name recognition as the sister of the longtime senator. She previously worked as a commissioner for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and has spent much of her career in public service focused on employment and support for people with disabilities.
The entrance of Darline Graham into the race significantly complicates the Republican primary scramble. Filing for the special primary opened July 21 and closes July 28, with the election set for August 11. The winner will advance to face Democrat Annie Andrews in November.
Her decision reflects a close relationship forged through tragedy. When both of their parents died within 15 months of each other—their mother in 1976 and their father 15 months later—Lindsey Graham became her legal guardian when he was 22 and she was just 13. The two were exceptionally close, with Darline frequently appearing at her brother’s campaign events.
Speaking about her decision, Graham told Hannity: “I know I’m a hard worker. I learned that from Lindsey. I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it. Will it be difficult? Yes.”
Other Republican candidates already in or considering the race include Representatives Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette. Rep. Nancy Mace announced Monday she would not enter the contest. Trump has not officially endorsed any other candidate, though he had previously suggested he might consider Fry.
While Graham can access some support for her campaign, federal election rules limit how much money from her brother’s campaign account she can directly receive. Lindsey Graham’s campaign can transfer only $2,000 directly to her candidacy. However, his campaign can transfer unlimited funds to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which, following a recent Supreme Court decision, can spend unlimited amounts in coordination with her campaign.
The special election represents an accelerated timeline following Graham’s death just as he was seeking a fifth Senate term. He had easily won the Republican nomination in June and was widely expected to win the general election this fall.