By Joseph Lord
Contributing Writer
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday defeated Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in the South Carolina Republican Senate runoff for the seat held by the late Sen. Lindsay Graham.
The President Donald Trump-backed candidate won with around 52.4% of the vote to Norman’s 47.6%, with 91% of the votes counted, when The Associated Press called the race at 9:01 p.m.
Graham will face off against Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in November. Andrews won her primary on June 9 with about 61.5% of the vote. Graham is expected to win the race in November, with nonpartisan elections forecaster Cook Political Report ranking the seat as solid Republican.
Darline Graham was appointed to the post by Gov. Henry McMaster following her brother’s death and a recommendation by Trump.
After Graham announced that she would seek a full term, Trump hosted a rally in Myrtle Beach Friday to encourage voters to back the candidate.
Trump urged voters to consider a vote for Graham as a vote for himself.
“They say again that Trump gets a lot of votes, but if he’s not on the ballot, people don’t vote so much,” he said. “I am on the ballot. We’re all on the ballot. Our country is on the ballot. You have to get out. You have to vote.”
She also had the endorsement of Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., now serving as South Carolina’s senior senator since Graham’s passing.
Norman is a 7th Congressional District lawmaker whose tenure in Congress has been marked by public disputes with House leadership.
As a member of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus and the House Rules Committee, Norman has often blocked and delayed party-line votes amid budget and other concerns about the state of the federal checkbook.
He also boasted a powerful endorsement in the state: that of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. He was also endorsed by Mark Sanford, a former South Carolina governor and Charleston-area U.S. representative.
Lindsey Graham had a complicated relationship with the president in the past that bloomed into a close political alliance and friendship by the end of his life.
In Myrtle Beach, Darline Graham told attendees that Trump was one of her brother’s closest friends when he died.
However, she indicated that her focus would be different from that of her brother, who was best known for his support of U.S. military intervention in various global conflicts — particularly a more aggressive posture toward Iran.
The younger Graham has said that “national security is not my thing” — a comment that drew controversy in the final weeks of the race in a state that features a critical naval base and a strong presence of military veterans and their families.
Haley, who has endorsed Norman, was critical of the comment, saying that national security expertise “is not something you inherit.”
Norman, echoing the sentiment, said of the comment: “This isn’t a get training on the job, you can’t do that.”
Trump on Friday addressed the criticism, telling reporters before flying out to South Carolina that Graham “was being honest” with her remarks.
He said he trusts her team, who worked closely with her brother on foreign policy.
“She’s surrounded by very good people, and she said that she’s totally for the military,” he said.
However, despite the controversy, South Carolinians ultimately decided to go with Graham, choosing to trust the endorsement of a president they backed by around 18% in 2024.
Norman has described himself as a political outsider and maverick, noting that he has not won the same level of critical Washington Republican endorsements or funding in the race as Graham.
Now, Graham’s focus will turn to the November showdown with Andrews.
Polling on the general election has been limited, and either Republican is favored to win in the conservative state.
The national political environment is set to be challenging for Republicans.
Democrats lead polling in Senate races in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio and Alaska. All were formerly perceived as relatively safe red states.
With South Carolina’s neighbors to the north and south each favoring the Democrat in the Senate race, it is unclear whether Andrews will be able to tighten the margins or pull off an upset victory in the race.
