Could SC’s election rules shape who decides to run for Graham’s US Senate seat?

(WPDE) — A social media post from U.S. Rep. William Timmons is drawing attention to a South Carolina election-law scenario that could shape whether some members of Congress decide to run for Sen. Lindsey Graham’s open U.S. Senate seat.

Under the timeline outlined, a sitting member of Congress could win reelection to the U.S. House and also win the open U.S. Senate seat on Election Day, Nov. 3. Because a person cannot serve in both offices, the lawmaker would have to choose.

If the member chose the Senate seat, the change would take effect when the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. At that point, the person would leave their House seat to serve in the Senate.

Unlike a U.S. Senate vacancy, a U.S. House seat cannot be filled by appointment. Instead, a special election would be required to choose a new representative. Until that special election is held, the House seat would remain vacant.

Timmons said the temporary vacancy could matter because the House elects its speaker when the new Congress begins on Jan. 3. With Republicans expected to hold a narrow majority, Timmons argues that even one temporary vacancy could make it more difficult for Speaker Mike Johnson to secure enough votes to keep the speaker’s gavel.

The next step in the process comes Tuesday, when candidate filing for the special Republican primary opens. Filing closes July 28.

Observers will be watching whether the issue affects who files for the race and whether any lawmakers propose changes to the election process.