{"id":1853,"date":"2026-07-30T18:40:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T18:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853"},"modified":"2026-07-30T18:40:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T18:40:20","slug":"trumps-pick-to-replace-lindsey-graham-faces-growing-gop-revolt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

President Trump\u2019s hand-picked candidate to succeed the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is facing growing trouble in the upcoming Republican primary, according to new polling and Republican strategists.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Trump Threatens To Pull Blanche Nomination Until Problematic GOP Senators Depart<\/a><\/p>\n

Darline Graham entered the U.S. Senate race on July 20 following Trump\u2019s <\/span>enthusiastic endorsement<\/span>, with the president encouraging Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister to \u201cRUN, DARLINE, RUN!\u201d South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed her to serve out the rest of her brother\u2019s term earlier this month.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in,\u201d Nordone told Fox News, acknowledging \u201ca tremendous amount of pressure\u201d around the decision. \u201cI have been praying a lot, talking to my family, but with the love of my family, with the support of his staff, I know I\u2019m a hard worker\u2026 I worked for almost 30 years for the people of this state, I feel like I can do it,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her optimism, however, is running up against new polling and growing skepticism that enough South Carolina Republicans are comfortable with Graham\u2019s experience and policy credentials to send her to the U.S. Senate for a full six-year term.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a woman who no one heard of at all before, and I think that that hurts her in a certain way,\u201d Republican political consultant Ryan Girdusky said in an interview with The Daily Wire. \u201cShe\u2019s a largely unknown entity. I mean, no one really knows her except the fact that she\u2019s Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a <\/span>new campaign ad<\/span>, Graham attempted to dispel those concerns, touting her pro-life beliefs, backing the SAVE America Act, and calling for a ban on biological men competing in women\u2019s sports.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am a conservative Republican,\u201d she said, touting Trump\u2019s endorsement. \u201cI approve this message, and I\u2019m ready to serve.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New <\/span>Emerson College polling<\/span> released Thursday shows Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) leading the crowded Republican field with 22% support. Darline Graham Nordone trails at 19%, followed by Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) at 12% and former GovernorMark Sanford at 11%. Nine candidates have been certified for the August 11 primary, while roughly 25% of voters remain undecided, according to the survey. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to an August 25 runoff.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The poll also suggests that President Trump\u2019s political clout may not be enough to carry Graham over the finish line. A majority of voters \u2014 53% \u2014 said Trump\u2019s endorsement would have no impact on their vote, while 29% said it made them more likely to support Graham. Another 18% said the endorsement made them less likely to back her candidacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Dramatic Video Shows Thousands Of African Migrants Storming Spain\u2019s Border<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re only going to have hyper-engaged people showing up. That doesn\u2019t always speak well for the president\u2019s base, which can be very high level, high levels of low propensity [voters] in the mix,\u201d Girdusky said. \u201cIf Darline Graham is counting on solely the president\u2019s supporters to carry across the finish line, it\u2019s a very tough, tough road.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rep. Ralph Norman, who endorsed Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary, has a <\/span>long track record<\/span> in South Carolina politics. He was first elected to Congress in a special election in 2017 and served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007 and again from 2009 to 2017.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing enormously special about him. But he, you know what you\u2019re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,\u201d Girdusky said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Norman has lined up endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), along with several Upstate sheriffs, the <\/span>Washington Post<\/span> reported. Fry has won the support of 40 Republican state legislators.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Darline Graham<\/span> earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology from the College of Charleston and a master\u2019s degree in rehabilitation counseling from South Carolina State University. She later worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and served as head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. If elected, she would be the first woman from South Carolina to be elected to the upper chamber.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her brother, Lindsey, unexpectedly died earlier this month at his Capitol Hill home in what the medical examiner\u2019s office believes was an <\/span>aortic dissection<\/span>. Before collapsing, Graham reportedly told a staffer he was experiencing chest pain. <\/span>Graham had easily won his Republican primary in June before his sudden death upended the race.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that the president was really in a state of grief. He loved Lindsey Graham,\u201d Girdusky said. \u201cAnd he picked her, you know, very, very, very quickly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cook Political Report<\/span> rates\u00a0the seat as Solid Republican going into November.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Meet The Christian Pastors Who Endorsed Pro-Trans Muslim Abdul El-Sayed<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Trump\u2019s hand-picked candidate to succeed the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is facing growing trouble in the upcoming Republican primary, according to new polling and Republican strategists.Darline Graham entered the U.S. Senate race on July 20 following Trump\u2019s enthusiastic endorsement, with the president encouraging Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister to \u201cRUN, DARLINE, RUN!\u201d South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed her to serve out the rest of her brother\u2019s term earlier this month.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m in,\u201d Nordone told Fox News, acknowledging \u201ca tremendous amount of pressure\u201d around the decision. \u201cI have been praying a lot, talking to my family, but with the love of my family, with the support of his staff, I know I\u2019m a hard worker\u2026 I worked for almost 30 years for the people of this state, I feel like I can do it,\u201d she said.\u00a0Her optimism, however, is running up against new polling and growing skepticism that enough South Carolina Republicans are comfortable with Graham\u2019s experience and policy credentials to send her to the U.S. Senate for a full six-year term.\u201cThis is a woman who no one heard of at all before, and I think that that hurts her in a certain way,\u201d Republican political consultant Ryan Girdusky said in an interview with The Daily Wire. \u201cShe\u2019s a largely unknown entity. I mean, no one really knows her except the fact that she\u2019s Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister.\u201d\u00a0In a new campaign ad, Graham attempted to dispel those concerns, touting her pro-life beliefs, backing the SAVE America Act, and calling for a ban on biological men competing in women\u2019s sports.\u201cI am a conservative Republican,\u201d she said, touting Trump\u2019s endorsement. \u201cI approve this message, and I\u2019m ready to serve.\u201d\u00a0New Emerson College polling released Thursday shows Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) leading the crowded Republican field with 22% support. Darline Graham Nordone trails at 19%, followed by Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) at 12% and former GovernorMark Sanford at 11%. Nine candidates have been certified for the August 11 primary, while roughly 25% of voters remain undecided, according to the survey. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to an August 25 runoff.\u00a0The poll also suggests that President Trump\u2019s political clout may not be enough to carry Graham over the finish line. A majority of voters \u2014 53% \u2014 said Trump\u2019s endorsement would have no impact on their vote, while 29% said it made them more likely to support Graham. Another 18% said the endorsement made them less likely to back her candidacy.\u201cYou\u2019re only going to have hyper-engaged people showing up. That doesn\u2019t always speak well for the president\u2019s base, which can be very high level, high levels of low propensity [voters] in the mix,\u201d Girdusky said. \u201cIf Darline Graham is counting on solely the president\u2019s supporters to carry across the finish line, it\u2019s a very tough, tough road.\u201d\u00a0Rep. Ralph Norman, 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 special election in 2017 and served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007 and again from 2009 to 2017.\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s nothing enormously special about him. But he, you know what you\u2019re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,\u201d Girdusky said.Norman has lined up endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), along with several Upstate sheriffs, the Washington Post reported. Fry has won the support of 40 Republican state legislators.\u00a0Darline Graham earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology from the College of Charleston and a master\u2019s degree in rehabilitation counseling from South Carolina State University. She later worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and served as head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. If elected, she would be the first woman from South Carolina to be elected to the upper chamber.\u00a0Her brother, Lindsey, unexpectedly died earlier this month at his Capitol Hill home in what the medical examiner\u2019s office believes was an aortic dissection. Before collapsing, Graham reportedly told a staffer he was experiencing chest pain. Graham had easily won his Republican primary in June before his sudden death upended the race.\u00a0\u201cI think that the president was really in a state of grief. He loved Lindsey Graham,\u201d Girdusky said. \u201cAnd he picked her, you know, very, very, very quickly.\u201dThe Cook Political Report rates\u00a0the seat as Solid Republican going into November.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-2"],"yoast_head":"\nTrump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt - Blue Route Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt - Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"President Trump\u2019s hand-picked candidate to succeed the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is facing growing trouble in the upcoming Republican primary, according to new polling and Republican strategists.Darline Graham entered the U.S. Senate race on July 20 following Trump\u2019s enthusiastic endorsement, with the president encouraging Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister to \u201cRUN, DARLINE, RUN!\u201d South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed her to serve out the rest of her brother\u2019s term earlier this month.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m in,\u201d Nordone told Fox News, acknowledging \u201ca tremendous amount of pressure\u201d around the decision. \u201cI have been praying a lot, talking to my family, but with the love of my family, with the support of his staff, I know I\u2019m a hard worker\u2026 I worked for almost 30 years for the people of this state, I feel like I can do it,\u201d she said.\u00a0Her optimism, however, is running up against new polling and growing skepticism that enough South Carolina Republicans are comfortable with Graham\u2019s experience and policy credentials to send her to the U.S. Senate for a full six-year term.\u201cThis is a woman who no one heard of at all before, and I think that that hurts her in a certain way,\u201d Republican political consultant Ryan Girdusky said in an interview with The Daily Wire. \u201cShe\u2019s a largely unknown entity. I mean, no one really knows her except the fact that she\u2019s Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister.\u201d\u00a0In a new campaign ad, Graham attempted to dispel those concerns, touting her pro-life beliefs, backing the SAVE America Act, and calling for a ban on biological men competing in women\u2019s sports.\u201cI am a conservative Republican,\u201d she said, touting Trump\u2019s endorsement. \u201cI approve this message, and I\u2019m ready to serve.\u201d\u00a0New Emerson College polling released Thursday shows Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) leading the crowded Republican field with 22% support. Darline Graham Nordone trails at 19%, followed by Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) at 12% and former GovernorMark Sanford at 11%. Nine candidates have been certified for the August 11 primary, while roughly 25% of voters remain undecided, according to the survey. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to an August 25 runoff.\u00a0The poll also suggests that President Trump\u2019s political clout may not be enough to carry Graham over the finish line. A majority of voters \u2014 53% \u2014 said Trump\u2019s endorsement would have no impact on their vote, while 29% said it made them more likely to support Graham. Another 18% said the endorsement made them less likely to back her candidacy.\u201cYou\u2019re only going to have hyper-engaged people showing up. That doesn\u2019t always speak well for the president\u2019s base, which can be very high level, high levels of low propensity [voters] in the mix,\u201d Girdusky said. \u201cIf Darline Graham is counting on solely the president\u2019s supporters to carry across the finish line, it\u2019s a very tough, tough road.\u201d\u00a0Rep. Ralph Norman, 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 special election in 2017 and served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007 and again from 2009 to 2017.\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s nothing enormously special about him. But he, you know what you\u2019re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,\u201d Girdusky said.Norman has lined up endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), along with several Upstate sheriffs, the Washington Post reported. Fry has won the support of 40 Republican state legislators.\u00a0Darline Graham earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology from the College of Charleston and a master\u2019s degree in rehabilitation counseling from South Carolina State University. She later worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and served as head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. If elected, she would be the first woman from South Carolina to be elected to the upper chamber.\u00a0Her brother, Lindsey, unexpectedly died earlier this month at his Capitol Hill home in what the medical examiner\u2019s office believes was an aortic dissection. Before collapsing, Graham reportedly told a staffer he was experiencing chest pain. Graham had easily won his Republican primary in June before his sudden death upended the race.\u00a0\u201cI think that the president was really in a state of grief. He loved Lindsey Graham,\u201d Girdusky said. \u201cAnd he picked her, you know, very, very, very quickly.\u201dThe Cook Political Report rates\u00a0the seat as Solid Republican going into November.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-30T18:40:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c\"},\"headline\":\"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-30T18:40:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853\"},\"wordCount\":803,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/584ad72f90e38e4a69c6fc4e07b489d8.avif\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853\",\"name\":\"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt - Blue Route Journal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/584ad72f90e38e4a69c6fc4e07b489d8.avif\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-30T18:40:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/584ad72f90e38e4a69c6fc4e07b489d8.avif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/584ad72f90e38e4a69c6fc4e07b489d8.avif\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=1853#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Blue Route Journal\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt - Blue Route Journal","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt - Blue Route Journal","og_description":"President Trump\u2019s hand-picked candidate to succeed the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is facing growing trouble in the upcoming Republican primary, according to new polling and Republican strategists.Darline Graham entered the U.S. Senate race on July 20 following Trump\u2019s enthusiastic endorsement, with the president encouraging Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister to \u201cRUN, DARLINE, RUN!\u201d South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed her to serve out the rest of her brother\u2019s term earlier this month.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m in,\u201d Nordone told Fox News, acknowledging \u201ca tremendous amount of pressure\u201d around the decision. \u201cI have been praying a lot, talking to my family, but with the love of my family, with the support of his staff, I know I\u2019m a hard worker\u2026 I worked for almost 30 years for the people of this state, I feel like I can do it,\u201d she said.\u00a0Her optimism, however, is running up against new polling and growing skepticism that enough South Carolina Republicans are comfortable with Graham\u2019s experience and policy credentials to send her to the U.S. Senate for a full six-year term.\u201cThis is a woman who no one heard of at all before, and I think that that hurts her in a certain way,\u201d Republican political consultant Ryan Girdusky said in an interview with The Daily Wire. \u201cShe\u2019s a largely unknown entity. I mean, no one really knows her except the fact that she\u2019s Lindsey Graham\u2019s sister.\u201d\u00a0In a new campaign ad, Graham attempted to dispel those concerns, touting her pro-life beliefs, backing the SAVE America Act, and calling for a ban on biological men competing in women\u2019s sports.\u201cI am a conservative Republican,\u201d she said, touting Trump\u2019s endorsement. \u201cI approve this message, and I\u2019m ready to serve.\u201d\u00a0New Emerson College polling released Thursday shows Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) leading the crowded Republican field with 22% support. Darline Graham Nordone trails at 19%, followed by Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) at 12% and former GovernorMark Sanford at 11%. Nine candidates have been certified for the August 11 primary, while roughly 25% of voters remain undecided, according to the survey. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to an August 25 runoff.\u00a0The poll also suggests that President Trump\u2019s political clout may not be enough to carry Graham over the finish line. A majority of voters \u2014 53% \u2014 said Trump\u2019s endorsement would have no impact on their vote, while 29% said it made them more likely to support Graham. Another 18% said the endorsement made them less likely to back her candidacy.\u201cYou\u2019re only going to have hyper-engaged people showing up. That doesn\u2019t always speak well for the president\u2019s base, which can be very high level, high levels of low propensity [voters] in the mix,\u201d Girdusky said. \u201cIf Darline Graham is counting on solely the president\u2019s supporters to carry across the finish line, it\u2019s a very tough, tough road.\u201d\u00a0Rep. Ralph Norman, 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 special election in 2017 and served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007 and again from 2009 to 2017.\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s nothing enormously special about him. But he, you know what you\u2019re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,\u201d Girdusky said.Norman has lined up endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), along with several Upstate sheriffs, the Washington Post reported. Fry has won the support of 40 Republican state legislators.\u00a0Darline Graham earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology from the College of Charleston and a master\u2019s degree in rehabilitation counseling from South Carolina State University. She later worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and served as head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. If elected, she would be the first woman from South Carolina to be elected to the upper chamber.\u00a0Her brother, Lindsey, unexpectedly died earlier this month at his Capitol Hill home in what the medical examiner\u2019s office believes was an aortic dissection. Before collapsing, Graham reportedly told a staffer he was experiencing chest pain. Graham had easily won his Republican primary in June before his sudden death upended the race.\u00a0\u201cI think that the president was really in a state of grief. He loved Lindsey Graham,\u201d Girdusky said. \u201cAnd he picked her, you know, very, very, very quickly.\u201dThe Cook Political Report rates\u00a0the seat as Solid Republican going into November.","og_url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853","og_site_name":"Blue Route Journal","article_published_time":"2026-07-30T18:40:20+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c"},"headline":"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt","datePublished":"2026-07-30T18:40:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853"},"wordCount":803,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/584ad72f90e38e4a69c6fc4e07b489d8.avif","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853","url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853","name":"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt - Blue Route Journal","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/584ad72f90e38e4a69c6fc4e07b489d8.avif","datePublished":"2026-07-30T18:40:20+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/584ad72f90e38e4a69c6fc4e07b489d8.avif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/584ad72f90e38e4a69c6fc4e07b489d8.avif","width":1200,"height":675},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=1853#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Trump\u2019s Pick To Replace Lindsey Graham Faces Growing GOP Revolt"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/","name":"Blue Route Journal","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/blueroutejournal.com"],"url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1853\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}