AIKEN, S.C. — Aiken Regional Airport will keep its name. Aiken City Council turned down a bid to honor the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham at the city-owned airfield, with the final version of the plan failing on a 4-3 vote.
The resolution first sought to rename the whole facility the Lindsey Graham Aiken Regional Airport. Council members narrowed it to the terminal building alone, and that version still fell short.
Aiken’s Aviation Commission had already voted unanimously against the change, pointing to safety concerns tied to how pilots identify the field and to the city’s branding. The commission suggested the city find another way to remember Graham, who represented South Carolina in the Senate for 23 years.
City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said the request came from a resident through Councilwoman Kay Beirmann Brohl, who put it on the agenda. Several residents asked that any terminal honor go instead to former state Sen. Michael Laughlin, a longtime figure in local aviation.
Councilman Braylen Waldo, who voted no, said the airport should not be renamed for any person. Councilwoman Barbara Ruth Morgan called for a formal city policy on naming buildings, and council members said they will later discuss naming a different site for Graham. The airport serves general aviation only, with no commercial flights.
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