{"id":2631006,"date":"2026-07-17T06:14:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T10:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-carolina-gop-senate-primary-race-will-replace-lindsey-graham\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T06:16:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T10:16:28","slug":"south-carolina-gop-senate-primary-race-will-replace-lindsey-graham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-carolina-gop-senate-primary-race-will-replace-lindsey-graham\/","title":{"rendered":"South Carolina GOP Senate primary race will replace Lindsey Graham"},"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\">20<\/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%2Fsouth-carolina-gop-senate-primary-race-will-replace-lindsey-graham%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=2631006&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>The article reports on the recent death of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a prominent figure in the U.S.Senate, who died on July 11 after a brief illness. Graham, who was frist elected to the Senate in 2002, was known for his shift from a foreign policy hawk adn McCain ally to a supporter of Donald Trump, especially during his presidency. His passing leaves a vacancy in the Senate, with his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, appointed temporarily to fill the seat until a special primary and election are held. The GOP is expected to nominate a candidate favored to win in deep-red South Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>additionally, the article highlights notable political developments, including Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), who lost his bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to Attorney General Phil Weiser, marking a rare primary defeat for a sitting senator in an open seat race post-WWII. The piece also discusses the trend of incumbent senators and House members losing bids for other offices amid an anti-Washington sentiment in the 2026 cycle, with examples such as rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and prosperous House candidates Kevin Hern (R-OK) and Barry Moore (R-AL). The article underscores shifting political dynamics and the impact of primary challenges on the traditional career paths of lawmakers.  <\/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\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/senate\/\">The Senate<\/a> campaign landscape got a morbid shakeup with the death of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4645467\/cory-booker-miss-unexpected-friend-senate-lindsey-graham\/\">Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)<\/a>. First elected to the Senate in 2002 after eight years as a House member, Graham <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4645261\/lindsey-graham-dead-illness-obituary\/\">died July 11<\/a> after a \u201cbrief and sudden illness,\u201d per his Senate office.<\/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\/justice\/4652429\/doj-marine-william-upham-trump-threat\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DOJ charges Florida House candidate who called for \u2018Antichrist\u2019 Trump\u2019s death<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4652539\/pat-ryan-pledges-refund-aipac-money-could-cost-him-790k\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>New York Democrat Pat Ryan pledges to refund AIPAC money. It could cost him $790,000<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4652023\/troy-jackson-anti-corporate-maine-senate-hopeful-endorsements-lobbyists\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Troy Jackson, an anti-corporate Maine Senate hopeful, touts endorsements from lobbyists<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A longtime <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/foreign-policy\/\">foreign policy<\/a> hawk and ally of the late <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/arizona\/\">Arizona<\/a> Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, Graham underwent one of the biggest transformations of any modern political figure. Graham ran against President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, and their fight was acrimonious. After coming up woefully short in the GOP primary season, Graham was for months a virulent critic of the future president. But once Trump was in office for his first nonconsecutive term, Graham became one of his most loyal allies. That alliance only intensified once Trump returned to office.<\/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<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now the Trump administration is without a \u201cSenate whisperer\u201d of sorts to guide its legislative agenda on Capitol Hill through perilously small congressional majorities. Graham, who was 71, is among 303 senators who have died in office, per the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/senators\/SenatorsDiedinOffice.htm\">Senate Historical Office<\/a>. Including Graham, seven incumbent senators have died over the past 20 years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham was on the Nov. 3 midterm ballot in his bid for another six-year Senate term. Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) appointed the late senator\u2019s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, as a temporary replacement to fill the vacant seat until Jan. 3, 2027. A special primary will be held Aug. 11 to choose a new Republican nominee, with an Aug. 25 runoff if no candidate wins at least 50% in the first round of voting. The GOP nominee will then face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the general election, for a full, six-year Senate term.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\">Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC) was appointed to finish the term of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). She is not expected to seek election after the remaining Senate term. (Examiner illustration; Associated Press photos; Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/WB.Congress.072226.jpg?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;658&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC) was appointed to finish the term of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). She is not expected to seek election after the remaining Senate term. (Examiner illustration; Associated Press photos; Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The eventual replacement for Graham as the GOP Senate nominee would be favored over Andrews, since South Carolina is a fairly deep-red state. No Democrat has won a Senate race there since the late Ernest \u201cFritz\u201d Hollings in 1998, at the tail end of his 38-year career in the chamber.<\/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\">___<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4631662\/colorado-governor-democratic-primary-weiser-bennet\/\">Sen. Michael Bennet<\/a> (D-CO)\u00a0is fortunate to have a day job to fall back on after losing the June 26 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=Colorado+Washington+Examiner&#038;rlz=1C5GCCM_en&#038;oq=Colorado+Washington+Examiner&#038;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRg9MgYIAhBFGDzSAQk0NDgxajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBX3gcIddZQrP&#038;sourceid=chrome&#038;ie=UTF-8\">Colorado<\/a> Democratic gubernatorial primary to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michael-bennet\/\">state Attorney General Phil Weiser<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Usually, senators who jump into races for their states\u2019 governorships are highly likely to win. That was the case in the 2026 cycle with a trio of senators who are gubernatorial candidates: Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).<\/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\">Yet \u201cMichael Bennet is the first sitting U.S. Senator to lose a primary for governor in an open seat race in the post-World War II era,\u201d noted New York-based Democratic pollster Adam Carlson in a widely viewed <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/admcrlsn\/status\/2072155432542408996\">June 30 X post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">News interviews with Democratic primary voters and focus groups showed Weiser beat Bennet, long the favorite for his party\u2019s gubernatorial nomination in the blue state, due to a tougher stance on fighting the Trump administration in the president\u2019s second\u00a0term. It\u2019s part of a growing 2026 anti-Washington trend that\u2019s already seen an abnormally high number of incumbent senators and House members come up short when seeking other offices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To date, ten House members have lost bids for the Senate, governor, or state attorney general. That includes some of the House\u2019s most recognizable characters, like Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), who lost the Texas Democratic Senate primary bid to state Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-talarico\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"17710\">James Talarico<\/a>. Crockett\u2019s national profile grew amid a string of incendiary social media posts and a May 2024 House Oversight Committee meeting tussle with then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a GOP congresswoman for five years who has since left the MAGA fold.<\/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<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Greene, during the committee meeting, blasted Crockett over the look of her eyelashes. Which prompted Crockett\u2019s retort that her House colleague had a \u201cbleach-blonde, bad-built butch body.\u201d The spat that went viral on social media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To be sure, some House members are finding success in statewide bids. Six have so far. For instance, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) is his party\u2019s nominee. He\u2019s virtually assured of winning an open Senate seat in deep-red Oklahoma. It\u2019s a similar situation in Alabama, where Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) won the all-important GOP nomination.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another 11 House members trying to move up the political ladder are awaiting voters\u2019 decisions in a string of late-season primary contests.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) dies unexpectedly, impacting Senate race<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2695,"featured_media":2631007,"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\/WB.Congress.072226.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[6203,32075,41960],"class_list":["post-2631006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-gop","tag-senate-primary","tag-south-carolina"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WB.Congress.072226.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2631006","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\/2695"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2631006"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2631006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2631010,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2631006\/revisions\/2631010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2631007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2631006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2631006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2631006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}