Lindsey Graham’s South Carolina Senate seat is on the line in Tuesday’s primary.

Key Points:

• South Carolina GOP voters will hold a special primary on Tuesday to choose a nominee to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, with a likely runoff scheduled for August 25 due to the crowded field of 10 candidates.
• The race is expected to be a Republican hold despite a Democratic challenger, Annie Andrews, but it offers insight into the GOP electorate's direction in a key 2028 primary state and the influence of Trump’s endorsement.
• Four main contenders are vying for the nomination: Darline Graham (Lindsey Graham’s sister and Trump-endorsed incumbent), former Gov. Mark Sanford, and sitting congressmen Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, each with distinct political bases and challenges.
• Super PAC spending has been significant, with Darline Graham’s allies leading in expenditures and engaging in negative advertising against rivals Fry and Norman, highlighting the high stakes and intense competition ahead of the runoff.
• The outcome will signal the evolving identity of the South Carolina GOP, reflecting tensions between traditional Republican figures and the populist, MAGA-aligned faction that dominates the party’s current landscape.