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South Carolina Republican Rep. Russell Fry on Monday announced he will run to fill the Senate seat vacated by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
“Last week, we all lost a legendary leader, and I lost a good friend,” Fry said in a campaign statement. “This week, we are faced with what comes next. I have been overwhelmed by the kind words and encouragement I’ve received asking me to step up.”
Fry said South Carolinians facing high gas and grocery costs “need a conservative in the U.S. Senate who actually delivers results,” comparing himself to Graham in that he was “raised in a close, modest family that taught me there is no substitute for hard work and that success comes from giving back.”
“Of the many things Lindsey Graham believed in, standing with President Trump and advancing the Republican agenda were among his defining principles,” Fry said. “There is no other way to put it: Lindsey Graham was one of a kind. 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.”
Fry accused “socialist Democrats” of recruiting Democrat Annie Andrews, who was running against Graham for his seat before his death. Fry said Andrews “would bring the same woke, far-left agenda to South Carolina that has hurt families all across America.”
“Our state deserves a Senator who will stand with President Trump, not stand in his way,” Fry’s statement concludes.
Fry joins attorney Duke Buckner, businessman Mark Lynch and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) as they all compete for the Republican nomination.
No clear favorite has emerged before Fry’s announcement. An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media poll released last Thursday found Norman with a slight lead at 16.4 percent, and Lynch was the only other announced or speculative candidate to receive more than 12 percent support. The most popular answer, chosen by 17.9 percent of respondents, was “undecided.”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) selected Graham’s sister Darline Graham Nordone to fill the remainder of the late senator’s term. Graham died suddenly at 71 from an aortic dissection the weekend before.
Nordone was sworn in on Tuesday.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is also eyeing a potential bid, while Trump is encouraging Nordone to run for a full term ending in 2033.
The special GOP primary set in motion by Graham’s death will be held on Aug. 11. Filing does not open until July 21.
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