Trump’s Endorsement Propels Darline Graham Into High-Stakes Senate Runoff

Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC), President Donald Trump’s hand-picked candidate to succeed her late brother, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), survived a crowded Republican primary Tuesday, advancing to a runoff for the GOP nomination.

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With less than half of the vote reported, Graham led the field of eight other candidates with roughly 30.5% of the vote, while Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Russell Fry (R-SC) are locked in a tight race for the second slot. Decision Desk HQ projected Graham would advance to the August 25 runoff at 7:28 p.m. ET.

Graham entered the special U.S. Senate race on July 20 following Trump’s enthusiastic endorsement, with the president encouraging Lindsey Graham’s sister to “RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term earlier this month.

Graham’s advancement to the runoff underscores the power of Trump’s influence in the Palmetto State, which helped propel a little-known candidate with a largely untested political record into the final two.

During a Republican debate, Graham introduced herself to voters, throwing her support behind a stalled effort to abolish the 60-vote threshold to pass the SAVE America Act.

“One of the first things I did was co-sponsor the SAVE America Act. As I said earlier, I’m willing to stay through recess to get it done. What’s up with recess anyway? Who gets a month off from work?” she asked, adding, “I think we should stay up there and work and get it done.”

“This is where I differ from my brother – getting rid of the filibuster to get this done, because eventually the Democrats are going to get rid of it anyway,” she said.

To ultimately prevail, Graham will have to consolidate support from the Republican voters who backed the other candidates eliminated from the primary. Norman, a conservative Republican who endorsed Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary, has a long track record in South Carolina politics. He was first elected to Congress in a 2017 special election and previously served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. 

“There’s nothing enormously special about him. But, you know what you’re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,” Ryan Girdusky, a conservative political consultant, previously told The Daily Wire.

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Norman has secured endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as several Upstate sheriffs, while Fry, who represents South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District, has won the backing of 40 Republican state legislators. Graham, meanwhile, has sought to strengthen her conservative credentials while leaning heavily on Trump’s MAGA base.

In a recent campaign ad, Graham touted her pro-life beliefs and called for a ban on biological men competing in women’s sports as she made the case for carrying on her late brother’s legacy.

“Lindsey taught me public service isn’t about titles; it’s about helping people. President Trump asked me to run for the Senate to work with him on the issues we care about,” she said. “While I never wanted to be in this position. I’m ready to serve the people of South Carolina.” 

If elected, she would become the first woman from South Carolina to win a full term in the U.S. Senate.

Her brother, Lindsey, unexpectedly died last month at his Capitol Hill home in what the medical examiner’s office believes was an aortic dissection. Before collapsing, Graham reportedly told a staffer he was experiencing chest pain. Lindsey Graham had easily won his Republican primary in June before his sudden death upended the race.

“I think that the president was really in a state of grief. He loved Lindsey Graham,” Girdusky said. “And he picked her, you know, very, very, very quickly.”

 The winner of the August 25 Republican runoff will advance to the November general election in a seat that The Cook Political Report rates as Solid Republican.

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This is a developing story. Stay with The Daily Wire for updates.