2002 United States Senate election in South Carolina

2002 United States Senate election in South Carolina

← 1996 November 5, 2002 2008 →

Nominee Lindsey Graham Alex Sanders Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 600,010 487,359 Percentage 54.40% 44.19%

County results Graham:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Sanders:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. senator before election Strom Thurmond Republican Elected U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham Republican

Elections in South Carolina
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Columbia Mayoral elections 2005 2009 2010 2013 2017 2021
Rock Hill Mayoral elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Greenville Mayoral elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
v t e

The 2002 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 5, 2002. Longtime Republican incumbent Strom Thurmond decided to retire at the age of 100, becoming the first centenarian to ever serve in Congress; he later died in June 2003. Thurmond's record as the longest-serving Senator in U.S. history was later surpassed by West Virginia's Robert Byrd.

Representative Lindsey Graham won the open seat, becoming the first non-incumbent Republican Senator from South Carolina since Reconstruction in 1872. This was the first open Senate election in South Carolina since 1956.