Sen. Tim Scott endorses Darline Graham ahead of South Carolina runoff
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Sen. Tim Scott praised fellow Republican Darline Graham as highly qualified and competent as she prepares for a runoff election to retain her Senate seat in South Carolina.
Sen. Tim Scott said on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that Darline Graham is "the real deal," adding she is "highly qualified" and "incredibly competent." The remarks came two days before the Aug. 25 runoff for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina. Scott said he wants Graham to serve alongside him in the Senate, representing South Carolina.
Graham, 62, has spent her career in state government, most recently as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind since 2019, and has never previously run for elected office. During an Aug. 18 candidates' debate she acknowledged limited knowledge of national security issues, stating she supports the military but is not a "polished politician" on the topic.
President Donald Trump defended Graham's comments, describing her honesty as a virtue, and earlier said he personally asked her to run for the seat after Governor Henry McMaster appointed her to fill the remainder of her late brother Sen. Lindsey Graham's term. Lindsey Graham had won the Republican primary in June before his death on July 11.
"I asked her to do this," Trump told supporters at an Aug. 21 rally, urging her to pursue a full term.