Republican Sen. Darline Graham has announced she will run for a full term in South Carolina's Senate race, seeking to keep the seat left vacant by the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. Her entry, alongside President Donald Trump's endorsement of her candidacy, sets up a contest that both tests Trump's influence over the GOP and highlights that his backing has not deterred other Republicans from entering the race, ahead of a competitive primary.

Darline Graham was appointed last week to serve out the remainder of her late brother's term and made her announcement during an interview on Fox News' "Hannity", saying she felt she "can't just let that die." Her candidacy comes as a week-long filing period opens ahead of the state's primary on 11 August, with other Republican hopefuls also entering the race despite Trump's endorsement of Graham.