Political expert explains South Carolina’s Senate replacement process

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — News 13 asked a political science expert to explain the complicated process of replacing the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.

Graham died suddenly at age 71 on Saturday, July 11, his office announced.

Western Carolina University political science professor Chris Cooper says a couple of things have to happen when replacing the senator.

First, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster will appoint someone to fulfill the rest of Graham’s term. Graham’s term is up at the end of this year.

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“At the same time, folks get to enter into a special election to replace Lindsey Graham on the ballot, so we have to keep those two ideas separately, finishing the term and then being on the ballot,” said Cooper.

Cooper expects McMaster will be strategic in appointing someone he wants to fulfill the current term, but the full six-year term.

Going by South Carolina law, filing for the special election to replace Graham opens Tuesday, July 21 and closes on Tuesday, July 28.

“In case things weren’t confusing enough, we need to remember that South Carolina has a runoff rule and so if we have a big primary and nobody gets above 50% of the vote, we’re then going to rinse and repeat with the top two vote getters a couple of weeks after that first special primary,” said Cooper.

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Dr. Annie Andrews– a Democrat– was running against Graham for the Senate seat.

Cooper says she faces the uphill battle of running as a Democrat in South Carolina, along with changing her campaign strategy from running against Graham to preparing for an entirely different opponent.