Well, this is awkward for about half a dozen South Carolina Republicans who already started picking out drapes for Lindsey Graham's old Senate office.
Darline Graham, who was sworn into the U.S. Senate this week after the unexpected death of her brother, is now reportedly considering running to keep the seat permanently. As Conservative Brief reported, this is a significant shift from what most Republicans assumed would be a classic caretaker appointment. You know, the kind where someone sits in the chair, keeps it warm, votes the right way, and politely exits stage left when the real candidates show up. Turns out the chair might be too comfortable.
Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham to fill the vacancy after Lindsey Graham died Saturday, with President Trump publicly backing the pick. Everyone nodded along, figuring this was a placeholder situation. Semafor first reported that Graham is now weighing a full campaign, which has to be a fun surprise for the growing list of Republicans who were already measuring themselves for the job.
That list includes Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Reps. Russell Fry, Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman, businessman Mark Lynch, and former Gov. Mark Sanford, who apparently never met a political comeback he did not want to attempt. The filing period for the Aug. 11 Republican primary opens Tuesday, so the window for deciding is roughly the size of a mail slot.
Sen. Tim Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, seemed perfectly fine with the idea of Graham jumping in. "Darline has so far been off to a remarkable start," Scott told CBS News. "Why not her?" Which is either a genuine endorsement or the political equivalent of shrugging and saying "sure, why not."
Not everyone is thrilled. South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick said his understanding was that Graham agreed only to serve out the remainder of her brother's term. "My understanding is that she told Governor McMaster that she would accept the appointment to fill the rest of the term, not to be a candidate for it," McKissick said. Nothing quite like a public airing of what was supposed to be a private handshake deal.
Trump is reportedly considering endorsing Graham for the full term, according to multiple sources cited by Semafor's Reese Gorman. If that happens, you can pretty much hear the air leaving the tires on several other campaigns simultaneously. Lindsey Graham was one of Trump's closest allies in the Senate for over two decades, particularly on judicial nominations and national security, so the family brand carries serious weight in a state where the GOP primary is essentially the general election.
Graham has not publicly announced her intentions. But when someone goes from "I am just keeping the seat warm" to "actually this seat fits pretty nicely," the writing is usually on the wall. Several ambitious South Carolina Republicans are about to find out whether they are running against a senator with a famous last name, an incumbent's advantage, and possibly a presidential endorsement, or whether they can breathe easy. Filing opens Tuesday, so grab your popcorn.
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