The sudden death of influential Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham will have implications for legislative business in the Senate and the November election. Here’s what we know about what comes next.
How will Graham’s seat get filled?
Under state law, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster can appoint a temporary replacement to fill Graham’s now-vacant seat.
But because Graham was up for reelection this year, his death will kick off a sprint primary election to replace him on the November ballot.
Officials have yet to announce how Graham will be replaced, but state law appears to call for a special primary election on August 11 – with a possible runoff on August 25 – to choose a new nominee.
Under that timeline, candidate filing would run from July 21 to July 28.
The winner of the primary would face the Democratic nominee, pediatrician Annie Andrews, in November.
In a statement Sunday, Andrews called Graham “a man of great faith who proudly served our nation as a JAG officer and Air Force colonel.”
“I hope that South Carolinians will join me in setting partisanship aside and offering gratitude to Senator Lindsey Graham for his service to the great state of South Carolina,” she said.
What does this mean for the balance of power in the Senate?
Graham’s death shouldn’t have a short-term impact on the overall balance of power in the Senate.
McMaster is a Republican, so his appointment should restore the 53-47 GOP advantage in the chamber.
And there will likely be pressure for McMaster to make an appointment quickly, as the Republican caucus had already been operating short one member in recent weeks due to the hospitalization of Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell.
What legislative issues might this affect?
While Graham’s death might not have an overall impact on the control of the Senate, he was key player on major issues in the chamber.
The Senate budget committee, which Graham chaired, was in the early phases of working through a complicated budget reconciliation process to try to muscle through parts of Trump’s voter ID bill.
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GOP lawmakers had hoped to work quickly to satisfy the president’s demands, which have caused major roadblocks to their agenda on Capitol Hill. Frustrated that the SAVE America Act does not have the votes to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, Trump has pushed lawmakers to eliminate the filibuster and refused to sign other, bi-partisan housing legislation in protest. (That became law anyway.)
And the Senate is set to consider a request from the White House for additional defense funding amid the Iran war. Graham would’ve been an outspoken advocate for the measure, which faces a difficult path in Congress as it could require a bipartisan vote to pass under Senate rules.
Further Pentagon funding faces another wrinkle due to the absence of McConnell, the chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee.
Graham also would have been a key defender of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week as Trump hopes to confirm him to lead the Justice Department in a permanent capacity.
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