Trump urges Darline Graham to run in South Carolina special election

By Alejandra Jaramillo, Arlette Saenz, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump said he’s urged Sen. Darline Graham, the younger sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, to run in South Carolina’s upcoming special primary and pledged his “complete and total endorsement” if she enters the race to take her brother’s spot on the ballot.

“During her visit, I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday, praising her visit to the Oval Office earlier this week.

“I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey. Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN. RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Trump added.

Graham was sworn into the Senate on Tuesday to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term following his death over the weekend. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced her appointment to finish her brother’s term on Monday.

Because the late senator was up for reelection this year, his death will kick off a sprint primary election to replace him on the November ballot.

CNN has reached out to Graham’s office.

If she does decide to run, Graham, 62, would enter with high name recognition and the backing of the president.

She has never held elected office but has served in public positions in the state. She was serving as a commissioner for the South Carolina Commission for the Blind prior to the appointment and has long worked with people with disabilities.

Several other South Carolina Republicans have been floated as potential candidates in the GOP special primary. But whether a Trump pre-endorsement of Graham could alter those Republicans’ plans remains to be seen.

GOP Rep. Ralph Norman told CNN on Wednesday that he would decide by Monday whether he would enter the race, but he also noted he is “weighing a lot of things,” including any news on whom the president will endorse.

“I told him I want their, need the endorsement and I think we can win this thing,” he added.

Norman also said the president was speaking with South Carolina Reps. Russell Fry and William Timmons.

On Friday, Norman received an endorsement from Florida Sen. Rick Scott, to which the GOP congressman responded, “We will have an announcement soon and it would be an honor to work alongside a conservative leader like you in the United States Senate!”

Other potential candidates who have been floated include Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Rep. Nancy Mace, who both lost in the state’s GOP gubernatorial primary this year.

The filing period for the GOP special primary begins on July 21 and ends on July 28.

The winner of the special primary would face Democrat Annie Andrews in November.

This is not the first time the president has made his preference known for a candidate before they have formally entered the race.

In January, Trump threw his support behind Rep. Julia Letlow in a bid to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy in the Louisiana Senate race before she had announced a decision. Letlow entered the race days later.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Ethan Cohen, Lauren Fox and Ali Main contributed to this report.