Darline Graham, Ralph Norman head to South Carolina GOP Senate runoff after crowded primary
Appointed Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman will face each other in a Republican runoff for South Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat after no
Appointed Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman will face each other in a Republican runoff for South Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat after no candidate cleared a majority in Tuesday’s crowded primary. The result sets up a second round of voting on Aug. 25, with Democrats already waiting in the wings.
The runoff carries a sharper edge for Republicans because Graham entered the race with President Donald Trump’s backing. Even so, she was unable to close out a 10-candidate field on the first try. Norman, a House member from South Carolina, forced the contest on to the runoff ballot.
Trump’s endorsement falls short
Trump encouraged Graham to run and later endorsed her in the primary, but the outcome raised fresh questions about how much weight his support still carries with GOP voters in South Carolina. She was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster in July to serve out the remainder of the term left by her late brother, Lindsey Graham.
Graham has never held elected office before. That thin résumé appeared to bother some voters, even as others said they sympathized with her personal loss and respected the president’s endorsement. One Republican voter, Bob Howell, said he understood her situation but did not think the seat should simply be handed to her. Short sentence. Straight talk.
Race now narrows to two
The Aug. 25 runoff will determine who takes the GOP nomination and moves on to the general election against Democrat Annie Andrews, a doctor who won her party’s primary in June. South Carolina’s special election has drawn a packed field and a fast campaign, with candidates crisscrossing the state for just a few weeks before voters made their choice.
Graham has already spent weeks in Washington after her appointment, including votes on major Senate business. But the runoff means her bid to win a full six-year term is still very much alive — and still vulnerable. The final stretch will test whether Trump’s endorsement can rally enough Republican voters to overcome Norman’s momentum. Aug. 25 is now the date that matters.
