There is no clear frontrunner in the Republican primary race to select a GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant after the unexpected death of Sen. Lindsey Graham.
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A new Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey, reported by The Hill, found that “undecided” was the single most popular response among likely GOP primary voters in South Carolina — outpolling every actual candidate at 17.9%. Rep. Ralph Norman led the named field, but only barely, with 16.4% support. Businessman and ordained deacon Mark Lynch trailed close behind at 12.5%.
From there, Rep. Nancy Mace had 10.1%, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette had 9.9%, Rep. Russell got 9.4%, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster got 7.7%, and former Rep. Mark Sanford had 5.4%.
Darline Graham Nordone, the younger sister of Graham, who was appointed by McMaster to serve out the remainder of her late brother’s term, received 5.9% support in the poll.
The poll surveyed 500 likely Republican primary voters July 14-15, with a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points. Voters will get a clearer answer soon: a special primary is set for Aug. 11, with the winner facing Democrat Annie Andrews in November for a seat Graham held for more than two decades.
A former GOP presidential candidate in 2016 and an Air Force veteran, Graham’s office announced over the weekend that he had died at age 71 from a “brief and sudden illness.”
The cause of death was a tear in Graham’s aorta that was related to the hardening of his arteries. His death occurred after he traveled back to the U.S. from Ukraine.
Graham was known for advancing numerous conservative causes in the Senate, including pro-life policy efforts, and for advancing what many considered a hawkish foreign policy.
While initially a strong critic of President Donald Trump, especially during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Graham later worked with the president on various policy initiatives.
Trump told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he considered Graham to be “like a member of the family” and praised Graham’s ability to work with ideological enemies.
“He was such an advocate. If he wanted to get something, he had a unique ability to deal with Democrats and Republicans,” Trump said. “If [I] had a problem — a real problem — I wouldn’t often ask. But if I had a problem with a Democrat, he could work it out. He was a great politician, actually.”
Joe Biden, former president and longtime Democrat senator, also gave his condolences on his X account, noting that “Lindsey and I served together in Congress for over a decade, and worked closely on many issues throughout the years.”
“We traveled the world together as members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We disagreed often, and sometimes loudly,” Biden wrote. “Lindsey and I did agree on the profound importance of public service. Like me, he loved the Senate as an institution, even with all its flaws and complexities.”
How are you praying for South Carolina as voters prepare to choose the next U.S. senator? Share your prayers in the comments.
This article was originally published at The Christian Post. Photo Credit: FinnishGovernment – https://www.flickr.com/photos/62216677@N07/53922478520/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=151475004.
