Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US.
Mike Sager | reuters
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. She is the first in a crowded field of candidates to express interest in the now-open Senate seat following her sudden death over the weekend.
Graham was seeking re-election at the time of his death and was scheduled to run against Democrat Anne Andrews in this November’s general election. Cook Political Report with Amy Walter Was labeled “Solid R”.
A person familiar with Mace’s thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she is “strongly considering” running for the seat and will be out on the ballot on Monday.
Mace, who has represented South Carolina’s 1st congressional district since 2021, launched a campaign for governor but lost in the Republican primary in June.
“South Carolina lost a legend last night. For more than three decades, Lindsey Graham gave everything he had to this state and this country, from the Air Force to the United States Senate,” Mays written on x On Sunday. “We didn’t always agree, but no one ever questioned his love for South Carolina or the fight he brought to every room.”
According to South Carolina state law, Governor Henry McMaster would be required to hold a special primary election on August 11 to place Graham on the November ballot. The filing period for that primary opens July 21.
In the meantime, McMaster has the authority to appoint a candidate to fill Graham’s current role. Punchbowl News reported that Representative Joe Wilson, R-S.C., is interested in the interim appointment and will remain in office for the full term.