A veteran politics reporter on Monday suggested who he believes could be the next person to seek the Senate vacancy left by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Scott MacFarlane, chief Washington correspondent for MeidasTouch, told CNN anchor Brianna Keilar that since Graham was facing re-election in November, questions have surfaced over who could replace him — floating 78-year-old Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), who has been loyal to President Donald Trump.
In the interim, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the senator's sister, to replace her brother after his unexpected death this weekend and serve the rest of his term through January 2027.
The process will now include a special primary election on August 11, according to The New York Times. Candidates can file for the vacant seat as soon as July 21.
MacFarlane suggested Wilson could be one of those potential candidates.
"I'm watching Joe Wilson, the 78-year-old Republican who has some of the same political alignments with the late Senator Graham," MacFarlane said. "He is also on the Armed Services Committee, known to be hawkish on military issues, he's a known quantity in South Carolina, been there a long time."
"A lot of people might know Joe Wilson outside of South Carolina as the person who famously yelled 'you lie' at then President Obama during the State of the Union address in 2009," MacFarlane added. "He also may have an easier time getting the support of Trump because it was Joe Wilson, Brianna, who authored the bill last year to put Trump's face on a new $250 piece of U.S. currency. It didn't pass but he may have cornered the market on Trump's alignment."
Scott MacFarlane says there’s a chance that Joe Wilson could be a possibility to replace Lindsey Graham: He also may have an easier time getting the support of Trump because it was Joe Wilson who authored the bill last year to put Trump's face on a new $250 piece of U.S. Currency pic.twitter.com/fA2UzHL2HJ
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 13, 2026