President Trump on Friday urged Senator Darline Graham, the South Carolina Republican who was sworn in this week to serve the remainder of her brother’s term, to enter the race to succeed him, upending what had been shaping up to be a crowded Republican primary for the seat.
“Lindsey was one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, and his sister shares his deep love of our Country,” Mr. Trump wrote in a social media post after meeting Ms. Graham in the Oval Office. “I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.”
The endorsement marks a dramatic shift in the contest, coming just days after South Carolina’s governor appointed Ms. Graham to fill her brother’s seat on an interim basis until January, following his sudden death last weekend.
Ms. Graham, who had been exceptionally close with her brother but had never held elective office, was initially viewed as a caretaker who could provide a reliable Republican vote while several South Carolina G.O.P. politicians considered seeking the full term. Because the special primary is compressed, the eventual nominee is expected to be favored in the general election in solidly conservative South Carolina in November.
Instead, Mr. Trump’s intervention raised the prospect that Ms. Graham’s interim appointment could evolve into a full‑fledged Senate campaign, giving her the benefits of name recognition and incumbency.
If she runs, Mr. Trump said on Friday, Ms. Graham would have his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
Several prominent Republicans in the state, including Representatives Russell Fry, Nancy Mace, and Ralph Norman, as well as Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, have indicated they are considering bids for the party’s nomination to face Dr. Annie Andrews, the Democratic nominee.
In South Carolina, where Mr. Trump’s endorsement remains a powerful force in Republican politics, his support for Ms. Graham could effectively clear the field for her. However, some candidates may remain in the race, as the president’s earlier endorsement for a gubernatorial nomination did not secure a victory.
Ms. Graham’s appointment is set to run through Jan. 3, 2027, the date that would have marked the end of her brother’s fourth term. The special primary to select a nominee to face Dr. Andrews is scheduled for Aug. 11, with a filing deadline of noon on July 28.
Reid J. Epstein contributed reporting.
