Darline Graham said she will pursue a full six-year term in the U.S. Senate to succeed her brother, Lindsey Graham, who recently died after two decades of service in the chamber. The appointed senator made the declaration in a clip released on Monday from an appearance on Fox News' 'Hannity' program.
"I have been praying a lot, talking to my family ... I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it. Will it be difficult? Yes. Absolutely," she told the program in the excerpt released publicly.
The timing of her announcement follows a direct appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump, who asked her to run in the special Republican primary scheduled in South Carolina on August 11. The primary will determine the Republican nominee to stand in the special election process to fill the remainder of the late senator's term.
Graham was appointed to occupy her brother's seat on an interim basis and will serve in that capacity through the first week of January. Her appointment makes her the incumbent heading into the special primary, a dynamic that could shape the contest in the coming weeks.
Also declaring an intent to run is U.S. Representative Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina, who announced on Saturday he will seek to succeed Lindsey Graham. His entry makes the Republican field at least two declared candidates and signals a competitive primary contest.
This sequence of events - an interim appointment, a public request from a former president, and the prompt declaration of another Republican officeholder - frames the immediate path toward the August 11 special Republican primary. The campaign timeline is compressed, and candidates will have a limited window to make their case to voters.
What the article covers
- Darline Graham's decision to run for a full U.S. Senate term following her brother's death.
- Her statement on Fox News' 'Hannity' in which she cited prayer, family discussions, and an inner conviction; she acknowledged anticipated difficulty.
- Former President Donald Trump's request that she run in the special Republican primary on August 11 in South Carolina.
- Her interim appointment to the Senate through the first week of January.
- U.S. Representative Ralph Norman's declaration that he will also seek the seat.
The article provides a factual account of candidacy announcements and the upcoming primary schedule. It does not include further campaign details, fundraising figures, polling data, or additional candidate declarations beyond those stated above.