Nancy Mace

The sudden death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has set off a scramble to fill one of South Carolina's two Senate seats, opening the door to a competitive Republican contest just months before the 2026 midterm elections.

Graham died on Saturday after what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness," two days after his 71st birthday. A longtime ally of President Donald Trump and one of the Senate's most influential voices on foreign policy, Graham had been seeking a fifth term and had already secured the Republican nomination.

Under South Carolina law, Governor Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement until Jan. 3, when the next senator is sworn in. The state must also hold a special Republican primary by Aug. 11 to choose a new nominee for the November election.

Nancy Mace preparing Senate bid

Representative Nancy Mace is preparing to launch a bid for the Senate seat, according to Politico, which cited two people familiar with her plans.

The outgoing House member is expected to begin polling this week and still has campaign funds remaining from previous congressional races. Mace is leaving the House after an unsuccessful run for governor earlier this year, where she finished fifth in the Republican primary.

This would not be her first Senate campaign. Mace challenged Graham in the 2014 Republican primary but finished a distant fifth.