South Carolina Republicans vie for late Sen. Graham's seat in special primary

A compressed and frenetic political sprint is underway in South Carolina as Republican candidates vie for the chance to replace the late Senator Lindsey Graham. With the filing period closing Tuesday, at least 10 hopefuls have submitted their paperwork, preparing for the Aug. 11 special GOP primary.

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It's been a jumbled and frenetic period during what would have otherwise been Graham's expected glide path toward a fifth term.

Graham's sudden death earlier this month at age 71 has created a rare open Senate seat, disrupting what would have been his expected path to a fifth term. The state has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in two decades, making the Republican nomination highly coveted.

Among the contenders is Darline Graham, the late senator's sister. She was appointed interim senator by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to serve until January and is now seeking the nomination to fill the seat permanently. While she has been a political confidante and appeared in her brother's campaigns, Darline Graham is largely unknown to voters and faces questions about whether her brother's legacy alone is enough to secure her election.

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For years, Darline Graham had been her older brother's political confidant, appearing in his ads, by his side at rallies and an indelible part of his biography, from their shared roughshod beginnings to his adoption of her following their parents' deaths.

Governor McMaster, who selected Darline Graham for the interim role, reportedly did not anticipate her running for the seat herself. The field also includes two U.S. representatives fresh off other political campaigns, adding further competition to the race. If no candidate secures a majority vote in the primary, a runoff election is scheduled for Aug. 25.

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Although she had been part of his campaigns, she's never been a political commodity in her own right, and there have been questions in South Carolina's GOP circles over whether goodwill toward her brother's memory is enough to send her to the Senate.