COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina voters have forced Sen. Darline Graham into a Republican Senate primary runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman, setting up a high-stakes contest for the seat formerly held by her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Darline Graham, 62, was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster in July to complete the remainder of her brother's term and is now seeking a full six-year term. President Donald Trump endorsed her on Truth Social on July 17, less than a week after Lindsey Graham's death on July 11.
Norman, a hard-line conservative, advanced to the runoff alongside Graham from a field of 10 Republican candidates. The runoff is scheduled for Aug. 25.
Graham's lack of prior elected office appeared to influence some voters. Republican voter Bob Howell, speaking in Lexington, South Carolina, said that while he sympathized with Graham's loss, he did not believe it was necessary to "just give it to her." Howell added that while he liked Trump, the endorsement did not sway his vote.
The runoff adds to questions about Trump's endorsement power in primary contests. Earlier this year, his preferred candidate for governor, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, also entered a runoff against state Attorney General Alan Wilson. Wilson ultimately won that nomination despite Trump issuing a rare dual endorsement.
During her brief time in the Senate, Graham has focused on foreign policy. She played a central role in passage of a measure earlier this month imposing new sanctions on Russia and Iran. The legislation, renamed for her late brother, passed the Senate 86-11. Graham said after casting her vote that she believed she had "accomplished a whole lot in three weeks."
The winner of the Aug. 25 runoff will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a doctor who secured her party's nomination in June. The Republican nominee will be heavily favored in November — South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to a Senate seat since Fritz Hollings' re-election in 1998.
Lindsey Graham had won a competitive primary in June before his death on July 11 following a cardiac arrest at his Capitol Hill home.
