Senator Darline Graham announced Monday that she will seek a full six-year term representing South Carolina, entering the special Republican primary to succeed her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.
“I’ve made a decision. I’m in," Graham said during an interview on Fox News.
Graham, 62, was sworn into the Senate last week after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to complete the remainder of her brother’s term, which ends in early January. She previously worked in disabilities services and most recently served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.
Speaking about her decision, Graham said she had spent time praying and consulting with her family before deciding to run.
“I know I’m a hard worker. I learned that from Lindsey," she said. “I feel like I can do it. I feel an inner peace about it. Will it be difficult? Yes. Absolutely."
President Donald Trump last week publicly encouraged Graham to seek a full term, saying after meeting her at the White House that she would have his “complete and total endorsement."
“I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey," Trump wrote.
The late senator had secured the Republican nomination in June for what would have been his fifth Senate term before his death on July 11. Following his death, the Republican nominee will be selected through a special primary. Candidate filing runs from July 21 through July 28, with the primary scheduled for Aug. 11. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff will be held on Aug. 25.
The Republican nominee will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election.
Other Republicans seeking the nomination include Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry.