Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly at 71, triggering an immediate political succession process in South Carolina ahead of the November midterms. The South Carolina Republican governor can appoint a temporary replacement for the remainder of Graham’s term, after which state law calls for a special primary. The timing creates uncertainty inside the GOP and may alter Democrats’ path to meaningful competition in a state that has remained reliably Republican. Graham was set to face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in November. President Donald Trump indicated he has a candidate in mind but did not publicly name anyone because it was “just too soon” after Graham’s death. The race and party choices could also be influenced by Andrews’s message focus on affordability and the intra-party scramble created by the required special election structure.