Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, and retiring Rep. Ralph Norman will advance to a runoff in the closely watched GOP primary for the South Carolina Senate race.
The state held a special primary on Tuesday night to select a new Republican nominee after Lindsey Graham unexpectedly died last month, a race attracting a crowded field of 10 GOP candidates. No candidate received more than 50% of the vote, forcing Darline Graham and Norman into a runoff as the top two vote-getters.
Darline Graham received roughly 32% of the vote, with Norman trailing at 24%. Now the pair have just two weeks to campaign and sell themselves to voters who originally opted for one of the other eight candidates who ran against them.
Graham, who was tapped to finish her late brother’s term and currently holds the Senate seat, has the advantage of President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Although Norman had asked the president for his backing, Trump chose to endorse Graham when she announced she’d run for a full term.
Graham was also endorsed on Wednesday by South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee and is tasked with electing Republicans to the Senate.
Still, Graham faces an uphill climb. As a political novice, she has no political experience and has never won an election before.
Norman, on the other hand, has represented South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District since 2017. He’s also attracted some national attention as a member of the House Freedom Caucus, often acting as a conservative rebel to extract concessions from GOP leadership.
And despite Graham having Trump’s endorsement, that’s not always a guaranteed victory. The president similarly endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the gubernatorial primary in June, but she lost in the runoff to Attorney General Alan Wilson. In the days leading up to the runoff, polls showed Wilson gaining an edge, prompting Trump to endorse both candidates.
The runoff election for the GOP Senate primary is scheduled for Aug. 25.