Donald Trump secured a much-needed primary victory Tuesday when South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in the Republican Senate runoff. The result strengthens Trump’s standing in a party where several of his preferred candidates have recently fallen short. Graham now moves toward a November contest in a heavily Republican state.
Darline Graham beats Ralph Norman to win in South Carolina primary
The win carries a personal dimension for Graham. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her in July to complete the Senate term of her late brother, Lindsey Graham, who died unexpectedly at 71 (via CNBC). Darline had never won elected office before taking the seat. She will now face Democrat Annie Andrews in November, although the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates the race “Solid R.”
Trump made Graham’s campaign a priority from the start. He flew to South Carolina last week for a joint appearance, then used a tele-rally Monday before issuing another endorsement on Truth Social. He argued that nobody could better carry on Lindsey Graham’s legacy and described Darline as a lifelong “WINNER,” giving her his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
Graham’s path to the runoff wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. A debate moment over Taiwan gave Norman an opening when she admitted she was “not that informed on national security” while discussing the island’s significance to America.
Graham later brushed off the criticism on Fox News, saying she simply doesn’t “speak politician.” Norman seized on the stumble, pitching himself as the battle-tested conservative and dismissing Graham as a “propped-up candidate.”
Graham’s victory comes as Trump’s endorsement record faces scrutiny following several losses by his preferred candidates. Several candidates he backed have already stumbled in Republican races across Iowa, Wyoming and Florida. In South Carolina, his endorsement also failed to lift Pamela Evette into the next round after Trump ultimately backed her and Alan Wilson. CNN found that 10 Trump-backed candidates have lost this cycle, the same number of primary defeats he suffered across the 2018, 2020 and 2024 elections combined.
Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya on Mandatory.
