The special primary race to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the late Lindsey Graham is gaining momentum, with five candidates submitting paperwork on the first day of filing. Mark Lynch, an Upstate businessman and social conservative, was the first to file, followed by Walterboro attorney Duke Buckner, who has previously run against Congressman Jim Clyburn.

Candidates and Their Backgrounds

Mark Struthers McBride, a former mayor of Myrtle Beach, also filed, as did Virginia native Clark Neilsen, a land surveyor from Charlotte, N.C. The fifth candidate to file was Samuel Shepherd, who claims to have used a naturally occurring molecule called astaxanthin to cure his own cancer.

With four high-profile candidates yet to file, the field for this special election is expected to grow. The filing period will continue through July 28, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. EDT.

The candidates who have filed so far bring a range of experiences and backgrounds to the table. Mark Lynch, who challenged Graham in the 2026 partisan primary election, has considerable financial resources available to support his candidacy. Duke Buckner, on the other hand, has a history of running against powerful incumbents, including Congressman Jim Clyburn.

As the filing period continues, it will be interesting to see which other candidates throw their hats into the ring. The special primary election is scheduled to take place on August 11, 2026.

Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.