After the death of Lindsey Graham: His sister runs in the Republican primaries - with Trump's backing
A month after the death of the veteran senator, Republicans in South Carolina return to the polls for unusual primaries. His sister Darlene, who was temporarily appointed to his seat and received the president's support, presents herself as an outsider: "I am not a politician and not a millionaire." Facing her are 2 congressmen and a former governor.
Republican voters in South Carolina are returning to the polls today, Tuesday, for the second time in two months, but this time it is a race no one planned: choosing the candidate who will try to succeed Senator Lindsey Graham, who died last month and left behind not only an empty seat in the Senate but also a significant void in the Republican Party.
At the center of the race is his sister, Darlene Graham-Nordone, who was appointed to the Senate a day after her brother's death to complete his term. Shortly thereafter, she announced that she would run for a full term after receiving the support of President Donald Trump.
However, Graham's path is not guaranteed. Among some Republicans in the state, there is discomfort that the party establishment in Washington seems to have already marked her as the preferred successor, even though many voters do not know her well and initially expected her to serve only as a placeholder.
Graham herself is trying to turn her lack of political experience from a problem into an advantage. "I am not a politician. I am not a millionaire. I understand the struggles of the average American family," she said at a debate earlier this month.
Although she was very close to her brother and helped in his campaigns in the past, she signals that her term will not be an exact copy of his. While Lindsey Graham became one of the most identified voices in the Senate on national security, foreign policy, and support for Israel, his sister promises to devote more attention to the cost of living and domestic issues. She also supports abolishing the legislative filibuster in the Senate, contrary to her brother's position.
On one point, at least, she leaves no room for doubt: her loyalty to Trump. "I fully support the president's agenda. I am one hundred percent behind him," she said. She also expressed support for his policy regarding the war with Iran. Trump's support may be a key asset for her in a fast race where she did not have much time to build an independent political identity.
Facing her are two Republican members of the House of Representatives from South Carolina, Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, both staunch conservatives who also emphasize their support for Trump, even though the president chose their rival instead.
Another prominent candidate is former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who is trying to make a political comeback after a turbulent career that also included a term in Congress. Also in the race is businessman Mark Lynch, who ran against Lindsey Graham in the primaries in June and received about 30% of the vote.
The large number of candidates may prevent a decision this evening: according to the race rules, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two will advance to a second round on August 25. Whoever ultimately emerges from the Republican battle will face Democratic candidate Annie Andrews in November, a pediatrician who already ran for Congress in 2022 and won the Democratic primaries for the Senate in June. However, her task is difficult because the seat has a clear Republican advantage.
And so, just a month after the death of one of the most well-known senators in Washington, voters in South Carolina are required to decide not only who will be their next Republican candidate, but also whether the name Graham, which was identified with the seat for years, will remain on it in the next generation.
