Trump Says He Has an Idea for Graham's Ballot Spot

The race to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on South Carolina's primary ballot is about to move quickly, Politico reports. President Trump told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that he already has a preferred contender in mind but declined to name the person, saying it was "too soon." State law calls for a special one-week filing window for GOP hopefuls starting July 21, followed by an Aug. 11 primary and, if no one tops 50%, an Aug. 25 runoff. The winner will then be on the general election ballot in November for a full six-year term beginning in January.

In the meantime, Gov. Henry McMaster will name a temporary replacement to serve out the year. There's no legal deadline for his decision, but governors typically fill Senate vacancies rapidly. McMaster can either pick a short-term placeholder who agrees not to run for the office or hand the job to an active candidate—potentially giving that person an edge heading into the compressed primary fight. The Democratic nominee is Annie Andrews, a doctor who expressed her condolences in a statement after Graham's death, per WYFF, saying he'd "proudly served our nation as a JAG Officer and Colonel in South Carolina's Air National Guard." The state's other senator, GOP Sen. Tim Scott, said on Meet the Press that he doesn't have any clues about McMaster's choice. It's "hard to swallow that life moves so quickly, and the party doesn't stop, ever," Scott said.

• Possibilities: Among the South Carolina Republicans thinking about running is Rep. Nancy Mace, per Politico. who challenged Graham in the 2014 Senate primary. She still has federal campaign cash on hand after an unsuccessful campaign this year for governor. Rep. Joe Wilson posted on X that he won't be a candidate after speaking with Trump. NBC News was told Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette has received "dozens of phone calls and texts" encouraging her to run. She received a last-minute endorsement from Trump before the primary for governor, then lost a runoff to state Attorney General Alan Wilson. Mark Lynch, a businessman who lost the primary earlier this year to Graham, also said it's too soon to say whether he'll run. "While we had our political disagreements, today is not a day for politics," he said.