{"id":2629688,"date":"2026-07-14T16:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T20:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/graham-ally-questions-gop-politicians-eyeing-replacement-bid\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T16:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T20:03:15","slug":"graham-ally-questions-gop-politicians-eyeing-replacement-bid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/graham-ally-questions-gop-politicians-eyeing-replacement-bid\/","title":{"rendered":"Graham ally questions GOP politicians eyeing replacement bid"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgraham-ally-questions-gop-politicians-eyeing-replacement-bid%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2629688&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Rep. William timmons (R-SC) responded coldly to South Carolina colleagues Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, who quickly expressed interest in replacing Senator Lindsey Graham after his sudden death from heart disease. Timmons criticized their swift reactions, suggesting they lacked a real chance to win a Senate seat due to previous electoral defeats. He expressed frustration over the attention and outlandish statements made by some potential candidates, criticizing their pursuit of publicity amid Graham\u2019s passing. Graham\u2019s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, was appointed to serve out his current term, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/n-y-democrats-choose-tom-suozzi-as-candidate-for-george-santos-seat\/\" title=\"NY Democrats pick Tom Suozzi for George Santos&#039; ...\">special election scheduled<\/a> for August 11 to fill the seat permanently. Several Republican figures, including Mace, Norman, Lt. Gov. pamela Evette, and Rep. Russell Fry, are considering or being considered for the Senate race. Trump praised Fry as a strong candidate, and others have sought endorsements. Timmons paid tribute to Graham, highlighting his humble beginnings and dedication, emphasizing that Graham embodied the american Dream and was deeply rooted in his community.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. William Timmons (R-SC) on Tuesday offered a chilly response to several of his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-carolina\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"524\">South Carolina<\/a> colleagues who swiftly expressed interest in replacing Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\">Lindsey Graham<\/a> after the longtime senator\u2019s sudden death.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Timmons reflected on Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Ralph Norman (R-SC) suggesting they could throw their hat in the ring to fill Graham\u2019s seat, which was left vacant when Graham died from heart disease on Saturday evening. He said their quick<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/video\/south-carolina-nancy-mace-on-lindsey-graham-death-all-in-shock\/\"> reactions<\/a> \u201crubbed me the wrong way,\u201d and cast doubt on whether his two colleagues could have a chance at winning a Senate race, since <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4601714\/pamela-evette-alan-wilson-runoff-south-carolina-governor\/\">they were both losers <\/a>in South Carolina\u2019s gubernatorial primary earlier this year.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4647821\/trump-texas-democrat-cuellar-race-pardon\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump questions Texas Democrat for launching House race after presidential pardon: \u2018Fighting him\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4647607\/jon-ossoff-fundraises-trump-conspiracy-2020-election-georgia\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jon Ossoff fundraises on report Trump will \u2018reheat\u2019 conspiracies about 2020 election in Georgia<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4647315\/maine-democrats-replace-platner-ice-shooting\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Maine Democrats vying to replace Graham Platner lash out after fatal ICE shooting<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[Voters] just got the best polling data ever in [the] South Carolina \u2026 primary election,\u201d Timmons said during <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/graham-ally-rips-thirsty-republicans-jockeying-replace-late-senator\">an interview<\/a> with Fox News Digital. \u201cI think that some of the people that have talked about running have a history of just saying outlandish things and taking ridiculous positions just for the purpose of getting clicks. And I think that that is not something that the people of South Carolina are going to reward.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe way that within 24 hours people are talking about that, that\u2019s just not appropriate,\u201d he continued. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t know, I think it\u2019s unfortunate that these people are so thirsty for attention that they\u2019ll get it at the expense of [Graham\u2019s death]\u2026 it just rubbed me the wrong way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) named Graham\u2019s sister, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/darline-graham-nordone\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"23139\">Darline Graham Nordone<\/a>, to serve out the rest of the late senator\u2019s term, which ends Jan. 3, 2027. There will be a separate special election on Aug. 11 to replace Graham on the November ballot, since he was running for reelection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several GOP lawmakers have already been floated as possible candidates or thrown their names in the ring themselves.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mace said Sunday that she was considering a bid. Norman said Monday that he asked President Donald Trump for his endorsement in a possible Senate campaign, but said the president told him it was \u201ctoo early\u201d to do so.\u00a0Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (R-SC) has faced calls to replace Graham, but <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/lindsey-graham-replacement\/\">told CBS News <\/a>on Monday that it was \u201cdisheartening\u201d that the conversation had turned so quickly to politics after his death.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump had singled out Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) as a possible replacement, calling him \u201coutstanding\u201d and \u201csomebody you could watch out for\u201d during a Monday interview with Newsmax. Fry has made no public statement on a run but has spoken to White House operatives about it, according to <em>Politico<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Timmons on Sunday posted a<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepTimmons\/status\/2076381240983257226\"> lengthy eulogy<\/a> for Graham on his X account, calling the late senator a mentor and friend who served more than three decades in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4645293\/trump-lindsey-graham-tired-phone-call-death\/\"><strong>TRUMP SAYS LINDSEY GRAHAM WAS \u2018A LITTLE TIRED\u2019 IN PHONE CALL \u2018SHORTLY BEFORE\u2019 DEATH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor all that Lindsey accomplished, what always impressed me most was where he came from,\u201d Timmons wrote. \u201cHe was the embodiment of the American dream.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAfter losing both of his parents as a young man, Lindsey made the extraordinary decision to raise his younger sister, Darline. He often spoke about how survivor Social Security benefits helped the two of them make it through those unimaginably difficult years. He never forgot where he came from, and he never forgot the responsibility he carried,\u201d Timmons continued. \u201cLong before the Senate, he was working in his family\u2019s liquor store and pool hall in Central, South Carolina. Those experiences shaped the way he saw the world. He could relate just as easily to a mechanic, a waitress, or a soldier as he could to a president or prime minister because he had lived a life that looked a lot more like theirs than Washington\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Timmons criticizes SC colleagues for quick Graham replacement talk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2629689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP20307848743815.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6203,3803,37875,82714,32515],"class_list":["post-2629688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-gop","tag-graham","tag-political-race","tag-replacement-bid","tag-us-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP20307848743815.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2629688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2629688"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2629688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2629692,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2629688\/revisions\/2629692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2629689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2629688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2629688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2629688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}