New Delhi, July 12 -- The sudden death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has set off a scramble to fill one of South Carolina's two Senate seats, opening the door to a competitive Republican contest just months before the 2026 midterm elections.

Graham died on Saturday after what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness," two days after his 71st birthday. A longtime ally of President Donald Trump and one of the Senate's most influential voices on foreign policy, Graham had been seeking a fifth term and had already secured the Republican nomination.

Under South Carolina law, Governor Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement until Jan. 3, when the next senator is sworn in. The state must also hold a special Republ...