Who could replace Lindsey Graham in the Senate after his sudden death?

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July 13, 2026 / 12:45 PM EDT

/ CBS News

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Washington — South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham's sudden death late Saturday has set off a scramble for who will succeed him in the Senate, with a field of GOP candidates aiming to replace him in the November Senate election swiftly shaping up.Separate from a special Republican primary that will take place in the coming weeks, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, will first appoint a temporary replacement to serve out the rest of Graham's term, which ends Jan. 3, 2027. The late senator's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, will be McMasters' pick to serve out the rest of his term, sources familiar with the decision told CBS News. The governor is set to announce the pick at 4 p.m. Monday. There will also be a special election held to replace the late senator on the ballot for the general election in November. Graham was seeking a fifth term in the Senate and secured more than 56% of the vote in the South Carolina Republican Senate primary in early June.Republicans who will vie for Graham's Senate seat have one week — from July 21 to July 28 — to file to run, and a special primary election is set to take place Aug. 11. If no candidate secures a majority of the vote, a runoff will be held on Aug. 25. The winner will advance to the Nov. 3 general election, taking on Democrat Annie Andrews in the fight for a six-year term.Graham, a giant in South Carolina politics and a key figure in the Senate, died suddenly at the age of 71 Saturday. Preliminary findings from the District of Columbia's medical examiner showed that the senator died of aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.