Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham's sister, says she'll run for full Senate term

Washington — Sen. Darline Graham, who is serving retired the remainder of the precocious Sen. Lindsey Graham's word successful the Senate, said Monday that she volition question a afloat word for the South Carolina spot her member held for much than 2 decades. 

"I've made a decision," Graham said connected Fox News. "I'm in."

The precocious senator, who died connected July 11, had secured the GOP information successful June for what would person been his 5th word representing South Carolina. With his death, the Republican campaigner successful the South Carolina Senate contention volition beryllium determined by a peculiar superior election. Republicans seeking the Senate spot whitethorn record betwixt July 21 and July 28, earlier an Aug. 11 superior to determine who volition instrumentality connected Democrat Annie Andrews successful November.

Graham, 62, was sworn in past week, aft South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to service retired the remainder of her brother's term, which runs done aboriginal January. Graham, who doesn't person a inheritance successful elected office, had a vocation successful disabilities services and astir precocious served arsenic commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. She said upon accepting the assignment that finishing her brother's word "is what Lindsey would person wanted," noting that she planned to "honor him successful this way."

President Trump publically encouraged Graham to tally for a six-year term, writing successful a station connected Truth Social aft gathering with her astatine the White House past week that she would person his "Complete and Total Endorsement."

"I anticipation Darline does this, successful that determination would beryllium cipher amended to grant the bequest of her beloved brother, Lindsey," Mr. Trump said. 

In an interrogation with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Graham said, "I person been praying a lot, talking to my family."

"I cognize I'm a hard worker. I learned that from Lindsey," she said. "I consciousness similar I tin bash it. I consciousness an interior bid astir it. Will it beryllium difficult? Yes. Absolutely."

The president's endorsement hasn't stopped different Republicans from announcing their volition to tally for the six-year term. Rep. Ralph Norman, who's represented South Carolina successful the House since 2017, announced a bid connected Saturday. And Rep. Russell Fry, who was elected to the House successful 2022, announced his candidacy connected Monday. 

If nary campaigner secures a bulk of the ballot successful the peculiar superior election, a runoff volition beryllium held connected Aug. 25.