Henry McMaster is expected to announce a replacement for the United States Senate on Monday, around 4 p.m., after the death of Lindsey Graham in Washington, D.C. Graham was 71, and a medical examiner said he died after a tear in the aorta caused by an underlying cardiovascular disease.
Under South Carolina law, McMaster may appoint someone to fill out the remainder of Graham’s term. That appointment would keep the seat filled until January, when the term was set to expire.
South Carolina and the Senate seat
Graham was running for re-election when he died over the weekend. The appointment comes first, then the campaign calendar resumes around it. South Carolina voters will later move to a special primary in August, where the field narrows before the November general election.
The August special primary will determine who faces Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November. That means the appointed senator will serve only for the rest of Graham’s term, while the election process decides who holds the seat next.
McMaster at around 4 p.m.
McMaster’s announcement at around 4 p.m. is the immediate next step, and it answers one part of the vacancy process without settling the race itself. The governor chooses the interim senator; voters choose the longer-term successor in August and November.
For South Carolina, the seat turns over in two stages: appointment first, then election. The practical question now is who McMaster names to hold the office until the campaign settles it.
