Fry joins crowded GOP race for Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat

South Carolina’s race to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham is quickly becoming a crowded Republican contest, with two sitting House members now seeking the seat. For everyday investors, the race matters because a GOP nominee moving from the House to the Senate could affect Republicans’ narrow House majority, which shapes tax, spending and regulatory votes.

Rep. Russell Fry announced Monday in a post on X that he will run in the special Republican primary scheduled for Aug. 11. Rep. Ralph Norman said over the weekend that he is also entering the race, setting up a primary fight that could also include Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister and the state’s interim senator.

Darline Graham was appointed last week to serve temporarily through the end of the year and was sworn in last Tuesday, according to Roll Call. She has not said whether she will seek a full six-year term. President Donald Trump endorsed her Friday in a Truth Social post if she decides to run, writing that she would be the best person to honor her brother’s legacy.

Official filing for the special Republican primary opens Tuesday at noon ET, according to South Carolina election officials. The Republican winner is set to face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates the race “Solid R,” meaning it sees the seat as strongly favored to stay Republican.

Fry, a Trump ally who has represented South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District since 2023, framed his campaign around household costs and conservative policy. “South Carolina, I’m in! I’m running for the U.S. Senate,” Fry wrote on X, adding that families are struggling with gas and grocery prices. He described himself as a “conservative MAGA candidate” for the special primary.

Norman has represented South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District since 2017 and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a bloc of conservative Republican lawmakers. He recently lost a Republican primary for South Carolina governor. In his campaign announcement on X, Norman said he wanted to stand with Trump and continue Lindsey Graham’s legacy. He also cited the SAVE America Act, a Trump-backed election bill that would require strict photo identification and proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Other Republicans have also moved toward the race. Mark Lynch, a South Carolina businessman who finished second to Lindsey Graham in the June GOP primary, announced July 13 that he would run. Duke Buckner, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Rep. James Clyburn in South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in 2022 and 2024, has also announced a campaign, according to the Greenville News.

Lindsey Graham died July 11 at age 71. The District of Columbia medical examiner’s preliminary finding said he died of an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. An aortic dissection is a serious tear in the body’s main artery, and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease refers to artery hardening linked to plaque buildup.

In an open letter released over the weekend, Darline Graham thanked South Carolina voters for their support and said her brother had “so many big ideas” he still wanted to carry out. She wrote that it was time for her to “step up for South Carolina,” but stopped short of declaring a campaign.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.