Voters will choose Graham’s successor on ballot through primary

By Alan Wooten
The Center Square

The successor to the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham will be appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster and a special primary will be scheduled ahead of the November elections giving voters the choice for his successor on the ballot.

Graham, who turned 71 on Thursday, died Saturday night likely from a tear of the aorta according to the medical examiner. Graham was a clear primary winner in June over Mark Lynch and on the Nov. 3 ballot in pursuit of a fifth six-year term.

Dr. Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician, is the Democratic opponent in November. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., has been the state’s junior senator since 2012.

The preliminary medical examiner’s report was released by Graham’s office. An official cause of death is yet to be determined.

Per state law, the filing period for the primary begins on July 21 – the second Tuesday after a candidate’s death. It will last one week, and two weeks later – Aug. 11 – the primary will be held. A possible runoff would be two weeks later, or Aug. 25.

The timing challenges federal law for military and overseas ballots to go out 45 days before an election.

South Carolina’s bench from which McMaster shall choose is deep, and the one chosen could easily gain a leg up on winning in November. At least four possibilities may not be chosen now, yet may run in the primary, because of the perilous advantage held by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Graham was tight with second-term Republican President Donald Trump and his endorsement in the gubernatorial primary last month was the same as McMaster – Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette. Also in that race were U.S. House Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace. All were defeated by state Attorney General Alan Wilson, son of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C.

Published reports say Evette, Mace and Norman are each wanting the Senate seat. Evette has been lieutenant governor each of McMaster’s eight years as governor. Another name in the mix is U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, a two-term lawmaker from the Myrtle Beach area in the 7th Congressional District.

Choosing a sitting House member could be risky and discouraged by Trump. In the U.S. House, Republicans have 218 seats, there is one independent formerly a Republican, and there are 212 Democrats. The four vacant seats were occupied by one Republican and three Democrats.

In the immediate appointment consideration, Rep. Joe Wilson said he told Trump he would remain in the chamber “to maintain the two-vote majority.” The appointed successor will stay in the seat until the 120th Congress takes their seats in January.

McMaster’s appointment will be just the third person in the seat in nearly three-quarters of a century. Graham succeeded the legendary Sen. Strom Thurmond, the former Democrat when elected in 1956 who changed to the Republican Party in 1964 and won six of seven reelections in red.

Graham defeated Lynch 56.8%-28.9% on June 9. Andrews easily turned back Brandon Brown 61.5%-30.2% in the Democratic primary. Kasie Whitener is the Libertarian candidate on the ballot.