South Carolina’s newly appointed U.S. Senator Darline Graham has announced she will seek the full six-year Senate term left vacant by her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The decision followed just nine days after Lindsey Graham’s sudden death and one week after Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham to fill the final months of his current term. President Trump had personally urged her to enter the race, promising a “Complete and Total Endorsement” and calling her a “true American Patriot” who could carry forward her brother’s legacy.

Graham said she spent days praying and talking with her family before reaching the decision. She acknowledged the pressure of the campaign but expressed confidence in her ability to serve, noting she had found “an inner peace” about moving forward.

The announcement has immediately reshaped the Republican field, with Rep. Ralph Norman already joining the race and Rep. Russell Fry indicating he will enter. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November.

South Carolina last elected a Democrat to the Senate in the 1990s, making this contest critical for the state’s next senator. Graham became South Carolina’s first woman ever to represent the state in the U.S. Senate under Gov. McMaster’s appointment on July 13, with her temporary service lasting until January 3, 2027.

The race is set to unfold under a compressed schedule: candidate filings open July 21 and close July 28, with the Republican primary scheduled for August 11. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff will be held on August 25 before the November general election.

Graham, who has nearly 30 years of public service experience including as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, is now preparing to answer questions about policy and experience while grieving her brother.