Senator Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after a brief illness, leaving his Senate seat vacant and forcing a compressed Republican calendar to name a November nominee.Governor Henry McMaster will appoint an interim senator and a filing window opens in mid-July for a special Republican primary in August with a runoff two weeks later if no candidate wins a majority.Representative Nancy Mace is weighing a campaign and plans a poll to test support while Representative Joe Wilson says he will remain in the House; other potential Republican candidates include Pamela Evette, Ralph Norman and Nikki Haley.The Democratic nominee is Dr.
Annie Andrews and the vacancy alters
Senate arithmetic, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority and Senator
Mitch McConnell’s absence complicates leadership calculations as state Republicans ready an accelerated campaign.