Republican Russell Fry Launches a Bid for Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat

Republican Rep. Russell Fry announced Monday that he was launching a campaign for the Senate seat held by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, entering a brief and potentially crowded field in South Carolina.

He could be up against Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, who was appointed to hold his seat through this November’s election. President Donald Trump endorsed her last week but she has not yet officially launched her campaign for a full term.

In a statement, Fry sought to position himself as a champion of Lindsey Graham’s legacy and a staunch ally of Trump’s.

“There is no other way to put it: Lindsey Graham was one of a kind. There is no replacing him,” Fry said. “But I believe the best way to honor his legacy is to fight alongside the President just as steadfastly as he did.”

Fry also said that he intended to focus on cost-of-living issues that he said were crushing ordinary Americans, both in his state and across the country.

“Too many South Carolina families are struggling to make ends meet,” Fry said. “High gas prices and soaring grocery costs are hurting hardworking people every day.”

One source familiar with Trump’s thinking told NOTUS last week that the president would consider supporting Fry in the event that Darline Graham does not run for her brother’s seat.

Trump met with Darline Graham on Friday at the White House, writing in a subsequent post on Truth Social that he urged her to run for the seat.

“There would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, ” Trump wrote. “Should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina.”

“RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” he added.

Darline Graham was appointed early last week by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to complete her brother’s term following his death due to a heart issue last Saturday. Trump quickly decided to back her for the interim appointment and was considering backing her for the full term, NOTUS first reported last week.

The window for candidates to file for the truncated Republican Senate primary opens Tuesday and is expected to include a number of boldface names including Rep. Ralph Norman, who has already announced his intention to run, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, businessman Mark Lynch and former Gov. Mark Sanford, as well as Rep. Nancy Mace.

Fry’s decision to run for Senate could leave the House Republican caucus in a bind. If he — or any other member of the lower chamber — were to win the race, their seat would likely sit empty for several months. Republicans already hold a razor-thin majority in the House, one that is expected to tighten or even flip after November’s midterms.

Mace appeared to call out Fry in a post on X following his announcement, pointing to the repercussions if he were to win the race: “This is an escalation that harms our country, our state and our values at such an important time in our nation’s history.”