{"id":2639,"date":"2026-08-26T04:37:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T04:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639"},"modified":"2026-08-26T04:37:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T04:37:25","slug":"republican-voters-choose-replacement-for-lindsey-graham-in-hotly-contested-primary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639","title":{"rendered":"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

Trump-endorsed Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) won Tuesday\u2019s Republican runoff and will advance to the November general election, overcoming concerns about the political newcomer\u2019s lack of experience as she seeks a full term in her late brother\u2019s Senate seat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Dolly Parton\u2019s Cause Of Death Revealed<\/a><\/p>\n

Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), winning roughly 53.3% of the vote in the runoff to secure the Republican nomination for a full six-year term. Decision Desk HQ called the race at 8:38 pm EDT.<\/span><\/p>\n

Graham\u2019s runoff victory caps a dramatic rise for a candidate who had never previously held elected office before being appointed to the Senate last month. The race also presented another test of President Donald Trump\u2019s influence over Republican voters in the Palmetto State. <\/span><\/p>\n

On Friday, Trump hit the stump for Graham in Myrtle Beach, making a personal pitch for why the MAGA base should turn out to support her.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey say Trump does great when he\u2019s on the ballot. But when he\u2019s not on the ballot, his people don\u2019t come, and they don\u2019t vote for senators, congressmen, and other Republicans,\u201d Trump <\/span>said<\/span>. \u201cWhat I want you to do is pretend \u2013 please \u2013 like I\u2019m on the ballot. Just come and vote. It\u2019s so important.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Norman\u2019s strong showing revealed <\/span>significant hesitation<\/span> among Republican voters about handing Graham a full, six-year Senate term. Concerns about her inexperience were on full display during a <\/span>viral debate-night gaffe<\/span> where she admitted she was \u201cnot that informed on national security.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just going to be honest here, I\u2019m not that informed on national security,\u201d she <\/span>said<\/span> when asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security issues for the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n

Former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley criticized the remark.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLindsey Graham was well informed on the United States\u2019 national security. Graham admits she\u2019s not,\u201d Haley <\/span>said<\/span>. \u201cThis is not something you inherit. And it\u2019s critical in the U.S. Senate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Graham has previously outlined the differences between herself and her brother on foreign policy, saying in a July interview <\/span>that<\/span> she preferred to focus on issues that matter to \u201cthe average person.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Norman, a conservative Republican who endorsed Haley in the 2024 presidential primary, had a long track record in South Carolina politics. He was first elected to Congress in a 2017 special election and previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Muslim Brotherhood-Linked Networks Embedded Just Across U.S. Border, Report Warns<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing enormously special about him. But, you know what you\u2019re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,\u201d Ryan Girdusky, a conservative political consultant, previously told<\/span> The Daily Wire<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Norman secured endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as several Upstate sheriffs. Graham, meanwhile, sought to strengthen her conservative credentials while leaning heavily on Trump\u2019s MAGA base.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a<\/span> recent campaign ad<\/span>, Graham touted her pro-life beliefs and called for a ban on biological men competing in women\u2019s sports as she made the case for carrying on her late brother\u2019s legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLindsey taught me public service isn\u2019t about titles; it\u2019s about helping people. President Trump asked me to run for the Senate to work with him on the issues we care about,\u201d she said. \u201cWhile I never wanted to be in this position. I\u2019m ready to serve the people of South Carolina.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Turnout in Tuesday\u2019s runoff was abnormally low, with local officials <\/span>citing voter fatigue <\/span>as a key factor behind the depressed participation. If elected in November, Graham would become the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\n

Graham entered a crowded special Senate race on July 20 after Trump enthusiastically endorsed her, telling the head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, <\/span>\u201cRUN, DARLINE, RUN!\u201d<\/span> South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham in July to serve out the remainder of her brother\u2019s term.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly last 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. He had easily won his Republican primary in June before his death upended the race.<\/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

Graham will now advance to the November general election against Democrat <\/span>Annie Andrews<\/span> in a seat that <\/span>The Cook Political Report<\/span> rates as Solid Republican.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more EXCLUSIVE: A First Look Inside Donald Trump\u2019s Dallas Midterm Convention<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trump-endorsed Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) won Tuesday\u2019s Republican runoff and will advance to the November general election, overcoming concerns about the political newcomer\u2019s lack of experience as she seeks a full term in her late brother\u2019s Senate seat.\u00a0Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), winning roughly 53.3% of the vote in the runoff to secure the Republican nomination for a full six-year term. Decision Desk HQ called the race at 8:38 pm EDT.Graham\u2019s runoff victory caps a dramatic rise for a candidate who had never previously held elected office before being appointed to the Senate last month. The race also presented another test of President Donald Trump\u2019s influence over Republican voters in the Palmetto State. On Friday, Trump hit the stump for Graham in Myrtle Beach, making a personal pitch for why the MAGA base should turn out to support her.\u201cThey say Trump does great when he\u2019s on the ballot. But when he\u2019s not on the ballot, his people don\u2019t come, and they don\u2019t vote for senators, congressmen, and other Republicans,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWhat I want you to do is pretend \u2013 please \u2013 like I\u2019m on the ballot. Just come and vote. It\u2019s so important.\u201dNorman\u2019s strong showing revealed significant hesitation among Republican voters about handing Graham a full, six-year Senate term. Concerns about her inexperience were on full display during a viral debate-night gaffe where she admitted she was \u201cnot that informed on national security.\u201d\u201cI\u2019m just going to be honest here, I\u2019m not that informed on national security,\u201d she said when asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security issues for the United States.Former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley criticized the remark.\u201cLindsey Graham was well informed on the United States\u2019 national security. Graham admits she\u2019s not,\u201d Haley said. \u201cThis is not something you inherit. And it\u2019s critical in the U.S. Senate.\u201dGraham has previously outlined the differences between herself and her brother on foreign policy, saying in a July interview that she preferred to focus on issues that matter to \u201cthe average person.\u201dNorman, a conservative Republican who endorsed Haley in the 2024 presidential primary, had a long track record in South Carolina politics. He was first elected to Congress in a 2017 special election and previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives.\u201cThere\u2019s nothing enormously special about him. But, you know what you\u2019re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,\u201d Ryan Girdusky, a conservative political consultant, previously told The Daily Wire.Norman secured endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as several Upstate sheriffs. Graham, meanwhile, sought to strengthen her conservative credentials while leaning heavily on Trump\u2019s MAGA base.In a recent campaign ad, Graham touted her pro-life beliefs and called for a ban on biological men competing in women\u2019s sports as she made the case for carrying on her late brother\u2019s legacy.\u201cLindsey taught me public service isn\u2019t about titles; it\u2019s about helping people. President Trump asked me to run for the Senate to work with him on the issues we care about,\u201d she said. \u201cWhile I never wanted to be in this position. I\u2019m ready to serve the people of South Carolina.\u201dTurnout in Tuesday\u2019s runoff was abnormally low, with local officials citing voter fatigue as a key factor behind the depressed participation. If elected in November, Graham would become the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina.Graham entered a crowded special Senate race on July 20 after Trump enthusiastically endorsed her, telling the head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, \u201cRUN, DARLINE, RUN!\u201d South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham in July to serve out the remainder of her brother\u2019s term.Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly last 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. He had easily won his Republican primary in June before his death upended the race.\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.\u201dGraham will now advance to the November general election against Democrat Annie Andrews in a seat that The Cook Political Report rates as Solid Republican.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-2"],"yoast_head":"\nRepublican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary - 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=2639\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary - Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Trump-endorsed Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) won Tuesday\u2019s Republican runoff and will advance to the November general election, overcoming concerns about the political newcomer\u2019s lack of experience as she seeks a full term in her late brother\u2019s Senate seat.\u00a0Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), winning roughly 53.3% of the vote in the runoff to secure the Republican nomination for a full six-year term. Decision Desk HQ called the race at 8:38 pm EDT.Graham\u2019s runoff victory caps a dramatic rise for a candidate who had never previously held elected office before being appointed to the Senate last month. The race also presented another test of President Donald Trump\u2019s influence over Republican voters in the Palmetto State. On Friday, Trump hit the stump for Graham in Myrtle Beach, making a personal pitch for why the MAGA base should turn out to support her.\u201cThey say Trump does great when he\u2019s on the ballot. But when he\u2019s not on the ballot, his people don\u2019t come, and they don\u2019t vote for senators, congressmen, and other Republicans,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWhat I want you to do is pretend \u2013 please \u2013 like I\u2019m on the ballot. Just come and vote. It\u2019s so important.\u201dNorman\u2019s strong showing revealed significant hesitation among Republican voters about handing Graham a full, six-year Senate term. Concerns about her inexperience were on full display during a viral debate-night gaffe where she admitted she was \u201cnot that informed on national security.\u201d\u201cI\u2019m just going to be honest here, I\u2019m not that informed on national security,\u201d she said when asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security issues for the United States.Former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley criticized the remark.\u201cLindsey Graham was well informed on the United States\u2019 national security. Graham admits she\u2019s not,\u201d Haley said. \u201cThis is not something you inherit. And it\u2019s critical in the U.S. Senate.\u201dGraham has previously outlined the differences between herself and her brother on foreign policy, saying in a July interview that she preferred to focus on issues that matter to \u201cthe average person.\u201dNorman, a conservative Republican who endorsed Haley in the 2024 presidential primary, had a long track record in South Carolina politics. He was first elected to Congress in a 2017 special election and previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives.\u201cThere\u2019s nothing enormously special about him. But, you know what you\u2019re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,\u201d Ryan Girdusky, a conservative political consultant, previously told The Daily Wire.Norman secured endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as several Upstate sheriffs. Graham, meanwhile, sought to strengthen her conservative credentials while leaning heavily on Trump\u2019s MAGA base.In a recent campaign ad, Graham touted her pro-life beliefs and called for a ban on biological men competing in women\u2019s sports as she made the case for carrying on her late brother\u2019s legacy.\u201cLindsey taught me public service isn\u2019t about titles; it\u2019s about helping people. President Trump asked me to run for the Senate to work with him on the issues we care about,\u201d she said. \u201cWhile I never wanted to be in this position. I\u2019m ready to serve the people of South Carolina.\u201dTurnout in Tuesday\u2019s runoff was abnormally low, with local officials citing voter fatigue as a key factor behind the depressed participation. If elected in November, Graham would become the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina.Graham entered a crowded special Senate race on July 20 after Trump enthusiastically endorsed her, telling the head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, \u201cRUN, DARLINE, RUN!\u201d South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham in July to serve out the remainder of her brother\u2019s term.Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly last 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. He had easily won his Republican primary in June before his death upended the race.\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.\u201dGraham will now advance to the November general election against Democrat Annie Andrews in a seat that The Cook Political Report rates as Solid Republican.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blue Route Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-26T04:37:25+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=2639#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c\"},\"headline\":\"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-26T04:37:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639\"},\"wordCount\":791,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/a7431437c458961991a8e4d417c5305a.avif\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639\",\"name\":\"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary - Blue Route Journal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/a7431437c458961991a8e4d417c5305a.avif\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-26T04:37:25+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/a7431437c458961991a8e4d417c5305a.avif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/a7431437c458961991a8e4d417c5305a.avif\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/?p=2639#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blueroutejournal.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary\"}]},{\"@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":"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary - 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=2639","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary - Blue Route Journal","og_description":"Trump-endorsed Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) won Tuesday\u2019s Republican runoff and will advance to the November general election, overcoming concerns about the political newcomer\u2019s lack of experience as she seeks a full term in her late brother\u2019s Senate seat.\u00a0Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), winning roughly 53.3% of the vote in the runoff to secure the Republican nomination for a full six-year term. Decision Desk HQ called the race at 8:38 pm EDT.Graham\u2019s runoff victory caps a dramatic rise for a candidate who had never previously held elected office before being appointed to the Senate last month. The race also presented another test of President Donald Trump\u2019s influence over Republican voters in the Palmetto State. On Friday, Trump hit the stump for Graham in Myrtle Beach, making a personal pitch for why the MAGA base should turn out to support her.\u201cThey say Trump does great when he\u2019s on the ballot. But when he\u2019s not on the ballot, his people don\u2019t come, and they don\u2019t vote for senators, congressmen, and other Republicans,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWhat I want you to do is pretend \u2013 please \u2013 like I\u2019m on the ballot. Just come and vote. It\u2019s so important.\u201dNorman\u2019s strong showing revealed significant hesitation among Republican voters about handing Graham a full, six-year Senate term. Concerns about her inexperience were on full display during a viral debate-night gaffe where she admitted she was \u201cnot that informed on national security.\u201d\u201cI\u2019m just going to be honest here, I\u2019m not that informed on national security,\u201d she said when asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security issues for the United States.Former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley criticized the remark.\u201cLindsey Graham was well informed on the United States\u2019 national security. Graham admits she\u2019s not,\u201d Haley said. \u201cThis is not something you inherit. And it\u2019s critical in the U.S. Senate.\u201dGraham has previously outlined the differences between herself and her brother on foreign policy, saying in a July interview that she preferred to focus on issues that matter to \u201cthe average person.\u201dNorman, a conservative Republican who endorsed Haley in the 2024 presidential primary, had a long track record in South Carolina politics. He was first elected to Congress in a 2017 special election and previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives.\u201cThere\u2019s nothing enormously special about him. But, you know what you\u2019re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,\u201d Ryan Girdusky, a conservative political consultant, previously told The Daily Wire.Norman secured endorsements from conservative Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT), as well as several Upstate sheriffs. Graham, meanwhile, sought to strengthen her conservative credentials while leaning heavily on Trump\u2019s MAGA base.In a recent campaign ad, Graham touted her pro-life beliefs and called for a ban on biological men competing in women\u2019s sports as she made the case for carrying on her late brother\u2019s legacy.\u201cLindsey taught me public service isn\u2019t about titles; it\u2019s about helping people. President Trump asked me to run for the Senate to work with him on the issues we care about,\u201d she said. \u201cWhile I never wanted to be in this position. I\u2019m ready to serve the people of South Carolina.\u201dTurnout in Tuesday\u2019s runoff was abnormally low, with local officials citing voter fatigue as a key factor behind the depressed participation. If elected in November, Graham would become the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina.Graham entered a crowded special Senate race on July 20 after Trump enthusiastically endorsed her, telling the head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, \u201cRUN, DARLINE, RUN!\u201d South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham in July to serve out the remainder of her brother\u2019s term.Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly last 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. He had easily won his Republican primary in June before his death upended the race.\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.\u201dGraham will now advance to the November general election against Democrat Annie Andrews in a seat that The Cook Political Report rates as Solid Republican.","og_url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639","og_site_name":"Blue Route Journal","article_published_time":"2026-08-26T04:37:25+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=2639#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c"},"headline":"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary","datePublished":"2026-08-26T04:37:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639"},"wordCount":791,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/a7431437c458961991a8e4d417c5305a.avif","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639","url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639","name":"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary - Blue Route Journal","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/a7431437c458961991a8e4d417c5305a.avif","datePublished":"2026-08-26T04:37:25+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/#\/schema\/person\/19da116f8d79cf8987781569801c6b7c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/a7431437c458961991a8e4d417c5305a.avif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/a7431437c458961991a8e4d417c5305a.avif","width":1200,"height":675},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/?p=2639#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Republican Voters Choose Replacement For Lindsey Graham In Hotly-Contested Primary"}]},{"@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\/2639","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=2639"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2639\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueroutejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}