Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) has launched a campaign for South Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat, which was held by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), saying that “a conservative fighter in the Senate who delivers real results” is needed.
In a post on X, Fry expressed that “too many” residents in South Carolina “are struggling to make ends meet” as they deal with rising gas and grocery prices. Fry’s entry into the race comes after President Donald Trump gave the late Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, his “Complete and Total Endorsement” if she decided to run in South Carolina’s special Republican primary on August 11, 2026.
Graham Nordone was sworn in as interim Senator on July 14 to finish out her brother’s term, which goes until the end of the 119th Congress on January 3, 2027.
“South Carolina, I’m in!” Fry wrote. “I’m running for the U.S. Senate. Too many South Carolina families are struggling to make ends meet. High gas prices and soaring grocery costs are hurting hardworking people.”
“We need a conservative fighter in the Senate who delivers real results,” Fry continued. “I will be your conservative MAGA candidate in the special primary Senate election this summer. I’m ready for the fight, and I’m all in.”
Other lawmakers such as Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) have also launched campaigns for Graham’s Senate seat.
In a press release on Monday, Fry highlighted how Graham, who died on July 11 after a “brief and sudden illness,” believed in standing with Trump “and advancing the Republican agenda.”
“There is no other way to put it: Lindsey Graham was one of a kind,” Fry said. “There is no replacing him. But I believe the best way to honor his legacy is to fight alongside the President just as steadfastly as he did.”
“Two people close to Fry” confirmed to Politico that the Republican lawmaker would “continue running for his House seat” along with being in the U.S. Senate primary race.
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