South Carolina Republican Special Election 2026: Candidates, Key Dates, Polls & What Voters Need to Know
Last updated: August 1, 2026
- South Carolina is holding a special Republican primary on August 11, 2026 to pick a nominee for the U.S. Senate seat left open by Sen. Lindsey Graham's death.
- Nine candidates are certified for the ballot, led in early polling by Rep. Ralph Norman and appointed Sen. Darline Graham.
- If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff follows on August 25, 2026.
- The winner appears on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot.
- Only voters who did not vote in the June 2026 Democratic primary are eligible to vote in this special primary.
Why South Carolina Is Holding a Special Republican Election
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham died suddenly on July 11, 2026, just two days after his 71st birthday, reportedly from a tear in his aorta linked to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Graham had already won the Republican primary in June, positioning him for a fifth term. Because he died after being chosen in a partisan primary and had general-election opposition, South Carolina law — specifically S.C. Code of Laws Section 7-11-55 — required the Republican Party to hold a new special filing period and special primary to select a replacement nominee for the November ballot.
Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham's sister, Darline Graham, to hold the seat on an interim basis while the special election process plays out. She is also one of the candidates running to keep the seat for a full term.
Meet the Candidates
Twelve candidates initially filed for the special Republican primary. The South Carolina Republican Party later decertified three — Danny Ford II, Darius Mitchell, and Clark Nielson — a decision that is currently facing a legal challenge. That leaves nine candidates on the August 11 ballot:
| Candidate | Current/Past Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Darline Graham | Interim U.S. Senator (appointed) | Sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham; received President Trump's endorsement on July 17 |
| Ralph Norman | U.S. Representative (5th District) | Finishing his fifth House term; ran unsuccessfully in the 2026 gubernatorial primary |
| Russell Fry | U.S. Representative (7th District) | Also on the November ballot for House re-election |
| Mark Sanford | Former Governor & Congressman | Entered the race after the first polls were conducted |
| Mark Lynch | Businessman | Previously ran for U.S. Senate |
| Duke Buckner | Attorney | Also filed for the special primary |
| Mark McBride | Candidate | Certified for the ballot |
| Glenda Gail Parker | Candidate | Certified for the ballot |
| Samuel "Sam" Shepherd | Candidate | Certified for the ballot |
Two notable names dropped out before the field was finalized: U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, who filed but later announced she would not run, and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who polled in the field's mid-tier in early surveys but did not ultimately file.
Key Dates and Deadlines
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 11, 2026 | Sen. Lindsey Graham dies; special election process triggered |
| July 12, 2026 | Voter registration deadline for the special primary |
| July 21 (noon) – July 28 (noon), 2026 | Candidate filing window |
| July 31, 2026 | Deadline to apply for an absentee ballot |
| August 5–7, 2026 | Early voting for the special primary |
| August 11, 2026 | Special Republican primary election day |
| August 19–21, 2026 | Early voting for the runoff (if needed) |
| August 25, 2026 | Runoff election (only if no candidate wins a majority) |
| November 3, 2026 | General election — Republican nominee faces the Democratic nominee |
Who Can Vote — Eligibility Explained
South Carolina normally runs open primaries, letting voters choose either party's ballot regardless of registration. For this special primary, the South Carolina Election Commission has clarified a specific rule:
- Not eligible: Voters who cast a ballot in the June 2026 Democratic primary.
- Eligible: Voters who cast a ballot in the June 2026 Republican primary, or who did not vote in either party's June primary.
Because this is a party-specific filing (Republican-only, since Graham's original nomination faced general-election opposition), only a GOP ballot is offered in this special primary — there's no corresponding Democratic special primary. Note that the South Carolina Republican Party has also been pursuing a separate, ongoing legal challenge to the state's open-primary system generally, so it's worth confirming your eligibility at scvotes.gov close to Election Day in case rules are updated.
What the Polls Show
Multiple independent polls have been released since Graham's death, and the picture has shifted as the candidate field solidified. Treat any single poll as a snapshot rather than a prediction — margins of error in this race run around 4 points, and roughly a quarter of voters remain undecided in every survey so far.
| Poll (Date) | Leader | Runner-Up | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson College/Nexstar (July 28–29) | Ralph Norman — 22% | Darline Graham — 19% | 25% undecided; Fry 12%, Sanford 11%, Lynch 7% |
| Innovative Communication Strategies (July 20–21) | Ralph Norman — 18.6% | Darline Graham — 16.3% | Norman led the Upstate region; Fry led the Myrtle Beach media market |
| Newsweek/independent survey (July 21) | Darline Graham — 20.8% | Ralph Norman — 16.9% | Conducted just after Trump endorses Graham |
A few themes are consistent across the polling: Norman and Graham are the clear front-runners, the rest of the field is closely bunched, and a large undecided bloc means the race is genuinely competitive heading into August 11. President Trump's July 17 endorsement of Darline Graham appears to have helped her standing, though a majority of GOP voters in the most recent Emerson poll said the endorsement wouldn't change their vote either way. Given how bunched the field is, most analysts expect the race to head to an August 25 runoff rather than being decided outright.
How the Runoff Works
South Carolina requires a candidate to win a true majority — more than 50% of the vote — to be declared the nominee outright. With nine candidates splitting the vote and no one currently polling above the low-20s, a runoff on August 25, 2026, between the top two finishers is considered likely. Only voters who were eligible to vote in the August 11 primary can vote in the runoff, and early voting for the runoff (if it happens) runs August 19–21.
What's at Stake
Beyond South Carolina, this race matters nationally because it fills one of the rarer "open" Senate seats of the 2026 cycle — a seat that hasn't been up for a truly competitive nomination fight in years. The eventual Republican nominee is heavily favored to win the November general election given the state's recent voting history, which means the real contest for this seat is happening right now, in the special primary and any runoff.
Common Mistakes Voters Make in Special Elections
- Assuming this is the general election. August 11 only selects the Republican nominee; the general election is November 3.
- Skipping early voting windows. Special elections often have shorter and less publicized early-voting periods — mark August 5–7 (and August 19–21 for a possible runoff) on your calendar now.
- Not checking primary eligibility. If you voted in the June Democratic primary, you cannot vote in this Republican special primary — verify your status at scvotes.gov before Election Day.
- Missing the absentee deadline. Absentee ballot applications had to be submitted by July 31 for the primary; runoff deadlines will be tighter still.
- Forgetting photo ID requirements. Bring an accepted photo ID to the polls, or be prepared to vote provisionally if you don't have one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
South Carolina's special Republican Senate primary on August 11, 2026 will narrow a nine-candidate field seeking to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, with Rep. Ralph Norman and interim Sen. Darline Graham currently leading in early polling. A runoff on August 25 is likely given how closely the field is bunched, and the eventual nominee will be heavily favored in the November 3 general election. Voters should double-check their eligibility, mark early-voting windows, and watch for updated polling as Election Day nears.
Stay informed: Bookmark this page for updates as new polls and candidate news come in, and visit scvotes.gov to confirm your registration and eligibility before August 11.
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