Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) suggested Wednesday that interim Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC), the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham who was sworn in this week to fill her older brother’s seat, run in the South Carolina special GOP primary to become his permanent replacement.“’Why not her?’ would be my question, as it relates to the folks that are in the race, other members of Congress, and former congressmembers who’ve called me as well,” Scott told reporters. “There certainly seems to be a long list of folks who want to get involved.”An Aug. 11 special Republican Senate primary will be held, the winner of which will take on Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the November midterm elections for a full six-year term.
Scott, who leads the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, noted he would not put his thumb on the scale of the primary as a campaign chairman but could make an endorsement in a personal capacity as Graham’s former home state colleague. The seat is firmly in the GOP’s hands for the general election, meaning the nominee is all but certain to win in November.“As Tim Scott, the voter of South Carolina, I might indeed wade into the water at some point,” Scott said.The Washington Examiner reached out to Nordone for comment. She assumed her brother’s seat Tuesday after being appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) and will serve the remainder of Graham’s term, which ends in January 2027. It’s unclear whether she would be interested in running for the permanent position and was believed to be only a temporary caretaker of the seat.Scott has lobbied Fox News host Trey Gowdy, a former South Carolina Republican congressman, to launch a bid but was reportedly turned down.“I can’t think of a better person that I think represents the heart of South Carolina than Trey Gowdy,” Scott said. “However, he’s been pretty clear that he is not looking for the job [or] asking for the job.”Newly-appointed interim Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC), right, with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), left, speaks during a press conference announcing her appointment to fill the vacancy created by the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, at the statehouse Monday, July 13, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
