South Carolina GOP runoff pits Sen. Darline Graham against Rep. Ralph Norman for Senate ballot
In a hastily arranged runoff, South Carolina Republicans will choose between Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman to replace the late Lindsey Graham on the November ballot.
South Carolina Republicans will vote Tuesday to select the party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. The runoff features Sen. Darline Graham, the late senator’s sister who was appointed to finish his term, and Rep. Ralph Norman, a House member since 2017.
Graham, 62, has no prior elected office experience and has emphasized domestic issues such as health-care costs during the brief campaign. In a recent debate she acknowledged limited knowledge of national-security matters, saying she is “not a polished politician” and that “national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.”
Norman, a real-estate developer and member of the House Freedom Caucus, presented himself as an experienced conservative legislator and criticized Graham’s lack of experience.
The winner will face Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews, who secured the party’s primary in June. President Donald Trump has publicly backed Graham, campaigning for her in the state and hosting a tele-rally. A Trump-aligned super PAC, MAGA Inc., has contributed $827,000 to her campaign, according to Federal Election Commission filings. South Carolina’s other Republican senator, Tim Scott, said he is “confident she’s the real deal.”
Both candidates have highlighted their policy positions: Graham has voiced conservative stances on transgender athletes, abortion and gun rights, while Norman has aligned with the House Freedom Caucus and received endorsement from former governor Nikki Haley.