As South Carolina's week-long filing period for the Republican special U.S. Senate primary opened Tuesday, the rapidly evolving race to succeed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham began coming into sharper focus.

Appointed Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, Graham's sister, officially entered the race over the weekend, setting up what is expected to be a competitive Republican primary on Aug. 11, with an Aug. 25 runoff if no candidate wins a majority.

But as the field takes shape, much of the attention is increasingly turning to Rep. Russell Fry, the 41-year-old congressman many Republicans see as one of the party's rising conservative stars and the strongest standard-bearer for President Donald Trump's political movement in South Carolina.

Nordone (who uses her maiden name, Graham) told Fox News she intends to carry forward many of her brother's priorities while placing greater emphasis on the everyday economic concerns of South Carolinians.

"I used to see him on the talk shows," she told Sean Hannity. "I would watch him, and I'd be like, 'Lindsey, are you just talking about national security all the time?'"

While stressing that border security and national security remain vital, Graham said she often urged her brother to also focus on "the price of groceries, the price of gas, healthcare, insurance — that's what I'm worried about," she said.

State Republicans tell me Nardone has never been an active conservative or engaged in Republican politics and it would be risky to give her a Senate seat.

Palmetto State Republicans expect Nordone to inherit much of the late senator's political organization, along with endorsements from President Trump, Gov. Henry McMaster, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo.

Even so, Republican strategists caution that endorsements alone do not guarantee victory.

Trump remains the dominant figure in South Carolina Republican politics, but recent elections have demonstrated that even his backing is not always decisive.

Earlier this year, Trump strongly endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the Republican gubernatorial primary. 

Evette ultimately lost the nomination by more than 35 points, underscoring that South Carolina Republican voters ultimately make their own decisions.

That reality could benefit Fry.

Few South Carolina Republicans have stronger Trump credentials. 

Fry earned the president's endorsement in 2022 when he defeated then-Rep. Tom Rice, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. 

Fry's victory established him as one of the state's leading conservative voices and a close ally of the president's political agenda.

Young, energetic, and possessing a solid conservative voting record, Fry is viewed by many Republicans as a long-term leader capable of carrying the MAGA movement well into the future.

Trump himself had privately encouraged Fry to consider the Senate race before later urging Nordone to seek a full term following Graham's death. 

That shift has created one of the most closely watched Republican primaries of the year.

Rep. Ralph Norman also filed Tuesday.

Norman, 67, is a reliable conservative with a long record on fiscal and social issues, but his relationship with Trump's political team has never fully recovered after he backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley over Trump during the 2024 Republican presidential nomination battle.

Also entering the race is Greenville businessman James Lynch, an appliance store owner who mounted an energetic challenge against Lindsey Graham in this year's Republican Senate primary, finishing a distant second in a five-candidate field.

Meanwhile, former Gov. Mark Sanford continues to weigh a bid.

Published reports now indicate Sanford is seriously considering the Senate contest.

Asked Tuesday about his intentions, Sanford replied simply in an email to Newsmax: "I will let you know."

With filing now underway and several prominent Republicans competing for the nomination, the race to succeed Lindsey Graham is quickly becoming one of the nation's most important Republican primaries. 

While Darline Graham Nordone begins with establishment support and high-profile endorsements, many South Carolina Republicans are increasingly watching Russell Fry — a young, proven conservative and loyal Trump ally — as the candidate with the greatest potential to emerge as the party's next generation leader.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.