Russell Fry entered the GOP Senate primary South Carolina on Tuesday, joining the race for late Lindsey Graham's Senate seat after Donald Trump backed Darline Graham. Fry's move keeps the contest open even as Trump urged her to run in the Special Republican Primary.
Trump said, "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," and added, "I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey."
Russell Fry joins the field
Fry said, "Of the many things Lindsey Graham believed in, standing with President Trump and advancing the Republican agenda were among his defining principles." He also said, "There is no other way to put it: Lindsey Graham was one of a kind," and, "There is no replacing him, but I believe the best way to honor his legacy is to fight alongside the president just as steadfastly as he did."
A source in Fry's political orbit said Fry has "accomplished more than all the potential candidates combined," and said Fry passed three bills in his first four years in Congress. That is the case Fry is making to Republican voters as he enters a field that already included Ralph Norman and Mark Lynch.
Darline Graham and the race
Darline Graham has not yet committed to running. That leaves Trump's endorsement tied to a possible candidacy rather than a filed one, while Fry, Norman, and Lynch have already entered the race.
Dave Wilson said, "South Carolina voters want to have a choice and not be told who they need to be voting for."
August 11, 2026 primary
The Special Republican Primary is scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, 2026. For Republican voters, the practical result is a contested race with multiple entrants already in place before the ballot is set, and Trump's endorsement has not stopped the field from growing.
