South Carolina holds special Republican primary Tuesday to choose nominee replacing late Sen. Lindsey Graham

South Carolina voters are heading to the polls Tuesday for a special Republican primary election to determine who will replace the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham on the November ballot, according to reporting from The Hill. The race is being conducted to fill the remaining term, after Graham died in July, leaving an open Senate seat for the state’s voters to address through the primary process.

Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, is one of the candidates seeking the GOP nomination. She was appointed to fill the remaining months of Lindsey Graham’s term following his death, positioning her as both an incumbent holder of the seat for the remainder of the term and one of the main figures in the nomination contest. Tuesday’s primary will decide whether that appointed term continues to the general election under the winner’s name on the ballot.

The Hill described the Tuesday election as featuring a crowded field of candidates competing for the Republican nomination. In such contests, multiple candidates typically appear on the ballot and voters select among them in the primary, with the winner moving forward to represent the Republican Party in November for the remainder of the seat’s term.

A special election and nomination process like this is designed to keep the seat from remaining vacant while also allowing party voters to select a nominee ahead of the general election. The appointed nature of Darline Graham’s current role means her candidacy in the primary carries a distinct procedural posture, but the nomination for November is determined by the voters in the primary rather than by appointment alone.

Beyond the immediate question of who wins the GOP nomination, Tuesday’s contest reflects the operational choices states make when filling a U.S. Senate seat mid-term. The arrangement, as laid out in this case, includes an appointment to cover the gap after a senator’s death and then an election to let voters select the candidate who will appear on the November ballot for the remainder of the term.

The Hill’s coverage framed the primary as live-results reporting as the election returns came in on Tuesday. As results are tallied, the practical effect for South Carolina will be determined by which candidate secured the Republican nomination, including whether Darline Graham’s appointed incumbency translates into winning the party’s primary voters.

The next steps after Tuesday’s primary depend on the nomination outcome. The winner will advance to the November ballot for the Senate seat, while other candidates will be eliminated from the general-election ballot selection process for this specific seat and cycle.