Darline Graham and Ralph Norman Advance to South Carolina Senate Runoff
Republican candidates Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman will face each other in a runoff for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the late Lindsey Graham, with the winner set to challenge Democrat Annie Andrews in November.
South Carolina Republicans will hold a runoff on Aug. 25 between state Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman to determine the party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the late Lindsey Graham. The two candidates concluded a 45-day primary campaign that began after Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham, the late senator’s sister, to fill the remainder of his term.
Graham, a former head of the state commission for the blind, entered the race with the endorsement of President Donald Trump and positioned herself as a steward of her brother’s legacy. She told reporters she is “not a career politician” and acknowledged a recent debate gaffe in which she said military matters are “not my thing.”
Norman, described by some as the most conservative member of the U.S. House, criticized Graham’s comment, likening it to an unqualified football recruit. He has run highway billboards stating “Voting for Ralph Norman is MAGA” in response to Trump’s endorsement of Graham.
Trump, speaking at a rally in Myrtle Beach, said his support for Graham was a personal favor to the late senator, adding that he is not pleased with the outcome but emphasized his influence over Republican voters ahead of the midterm elections.
The runoff winner will meet pediatrician Annie Andrews, the Democratic nominee, in the November general election, a contest in which Democrats have not won a statewide race in South Carolina for two decades.