South Carolina voters will return to the polls on Tuesday, August 11, for a special Republican primary for the United States Senate.
It is an unusual election taking place in the middle of the summer and only two months after South Carolina’s regular June primary. For law enforcement officers, their families, and communities across our state, it is an election worth putting on the calendar.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11.
Why Is South Carolina Holding Another Primary?
The special primary follows the death of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham on July 11.
Graham had won the Republican nomination for another term during the June 9 primary. Following his death, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, to serve the remainder of his current Senate term.
The August 11 special Republican primary will determine who receives the Republican nomination for the November 3 general election. The Democratic nominee is Dr. Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician who won her party’s June primary.
With a large field competing in the Republican special primary, a runoff may be necessary. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote on August 11, the top two candidates would advance to a runoff.
Who Can Vote on August 11?
Because this is a special Republican primary, eligibility depends in part on whether a voter participated in one of South Carolina’s June primaries.
Voters who participated in the June Republican Primary are eligible to vote in the August 11 special Republican primary.
Registered voters who did not vote in either party’s June primary are also eligible to participate.
Voters who participated in the June Democratic Primary are not eligible to vote in the August 11 Republican special primary.
Candidates for U.S. Senate
Twelve candidates filed for the special Republican primary. Here is a brief look at the candidates appearing on the ballot list provided to SCFOP.
Duke Buckner
Duke Buckner is a Walterboro attorney and former public school English teacher. He has previously sought federal office, including campaigns for South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District.
Campaign website: Duke Buckner for U.S. Senate
Danny Ford II
Danny Ford II is a farmer and small-business owner from Central. Earlier this year, he ran for the Republican nomination for South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture, advancing to the June runoff before losing the nomination.
Russell Fry
Russell Fry represents South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. An attorney, Fry previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives before being elected to Congress in 2022.
Campaign website: Russell Fry for U.S. Senate
Darline Graham
Darline Graham currently serves in the U.S. Senate after being appointed to complete the remainder of her brother’s term. Before entering the Senate, she served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and held leadership positions with the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department.
Campaign website: Darline Graham for U.S. Senate
Mark Lynch
Mark Lynch is a Greenville businessman who competed against Lindsey Graham for the Republican Senate nomination in the June 9 primary, finishing second. Lynch previously sought a seat in the South Carolina Senate.
Campaign website: Mark Lynch for U.S. Senate
Mark McBride
Mark McBride is a former mayor of Myrtle Beach, serving in that office from 1998 to 2005. He has previously sought federal office, including campaigns for the U.S. Senate and South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District.
Campaign website: Mark McBride for U.S. Senate
Ralph Norman
Ralph Norman represents South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A businessman and former member of the South Carolina House, Norman has represented the 5th District in Congress since 2017 and was also a candidate for governor earlier this year.
Campaign website: Ralph Norman for U.S. Senate
Glenda Gail Parker
Glenda Gail Parker is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and former Department of Defense budget analyst who lives in the Myrtle Beach area. She has previously sought federal office.
Campaign website: G. Gail Parker for US Senate Special Election
Mark Sanford
Mark Sanford served as governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011. He also represented South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District during two separate periods in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Campaign website: Mark Sanford for U.S. Senate
Samuel “Sam” Shepherd
Sam Shepherd is a biomedical engineer and entrepreneur who lives in Lexington County. His professional background includes work in engineering, energy, medicine, and national defense.
Make a Plan to Vote
Law enforcement officers and their families know better than most that our communities are shaped by the people who choose to participate in them. Elections are one of those opportunities.
Special elections can be easier to overlook because they do not fall on the dates voters are accustomed to seeing on the election calendar. August 11 is one of those dates.
If you are eligible to participate, take a few minutes before Tuesday to confirm where you vote. Polling locations can change, and checking before Election Day can prevent an unnecessary trip to the wrong location.
Election Day: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Polls Open: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Find Your Polling Place: South Carolina voters can use the official SCVotes polling-place lookup to confirm where they vote.
For South Carolina’s officers, law enforcement families, and eligible voters across our communities, August 11 is another opportunity to make your voice heard.
Know where you vote, make a plan, and cast your ballot.
