South Carolinians Go to Polls for Key Republican Senate Primary

CHARLESTON, S.C.—South Carolina voters will head to the polls today to make their pick in a runoff election to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in a race that has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump.

Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.), the sister of the late senator who was appointed to the post by Gov. Henry McMaster following her brother’s passing, will face off against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a 7th Congressional District lawmaker whose tenure in Congress has been marked by public disputes with House leadership.

Trump has given his endorsement in the state—which he won by around 18 percentage points in 2024—to Graham.

Polling of the race is limited, with no major polls having been released that asked respondents to choose between only the two candidates on the ballot Tuesday.

The winner of the runoff will face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in November. Andrews won her primary on June 9 with about 61.5 percent of the vote.

No polling on the general election has been conducted, and either Republican is favored to win in the conservative state.

The national political environment is set to be challenging for Republicans. Democrats lead polling in Senate races in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, and Alaska. All were formerly perceived as relatively safe red states.

With South Carolina’s neighbors to the north and south each favoring the Democrat in the Senate race, it’s unclear whether Andrews will be able to tighten the margins or pull off an upset victory in the race.

Lindsey Graham had already won his June 9 primary when he died suddenly from a cardiac illness, prompting the state to set up a special primary election that’s scheduled for Aug. 25.

During the first round of voting on Aug. 11, Darline Graham and Norman won the two largest shares of the vote, but neither won more than 50 percent, so they must head into a runoff election.

Graham, endorsed by Trump, came in first with 32.8 percent of the vote.

She has drawn scrutiny in the wake of the Aug. 18 debate, in which she stated that “national security is not my thing.”

Norman—the upstate Republican representing the state’s 7th Congressional District—came in second place, with 23.5 percent of the vote.

In response to his opponent’s admission during the debate that she’s not well-informed on national security, Norman said, “This isn’t a get training on the job, you can’t do that.”

Darline Graham’s comment also drew criticism from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who said that national security expertise “is not something you inherit.”

Trump on Aug. 21 addressed the criticism, telling reporters before flying out to South Carolina that Graham “was being honest” with her remarks.

He said he trusts her team, who worked closely with her brother on foreign policy.

“She’s surrounded by very good people, and she said that she’s totally for the military,” he said.

At a rally in Myrtle Beach, Trump encouraged voters to back the junior senator in the runoff.

“We need every South Carolina patriot to go to the polls and vote for Darline Graham,” Trump urged Republican voters gathered in Myrtle Beach, saying he believes Graham can deliver a win for Republicans in the midterms.

“With your help this November, we’re going to stop the radical left Democrat communists here in South Carolina and all across the nation. The first step is winning the runoff election this Tuesday. You have to get out August 25th. You have to get out and vote.”

Throughout his political career, Lindsey Graham—representing a state with some of the largest veteran and military populations nationwide—was well known for his emphasis on foreign policy and national security.

Norman, who has often made headlines for butting heads with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other Republican leaders, has marketed his lack of endorsement from Trump as a plus for his campaign.

He’s described himself as a Washington outsider, saying he has not won critical Republican endorsements or funding in the race.

Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.), a Myrtle Beach-based House lawmaker who has allied closely with Trump, came in third place in the Aug. 11 primary. Fry received 20.4 percent of the vote and has since endorsed Graham.

Former South Carolina governor and U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), based in the Charleston area, came in fourth place with 15.3 percent of the vote.

An outspoken critic of Trump, Sanford has endorsed Norman for the nomination.

Trump emphasized the importance of the race at the rally, urging voters to consider a vote for Graham as a vote for himself.

“They say again that Trump gets a lot of votes, but if he’s not on the ballot, people don’t vote so much,” he said. “I am on the ballot. We’re all on the ballot. Our country is on the ballot. You have to get out. You have to vote.”

He ended by saying that electing Graham would be a tribute to her brother, who was very close to the president.

“I want it to happen,” Trump said. “Good luck, Darline.”