Photo Credit: Darline Graham for Senate
By BallotWire
08/25/2026
The Wire: Appointed Sen. Darline Graham won South Carolina's special Republican Senate runoff Tuesday, defeating Rep. Ralph Norman by roughly 52.5% to 47.5% to claim the nomination for the seat once held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham.
Why it counts: The result caps President Trump's most personal endorsement of the primary cycle and clears the way for a political newcomer to hold the seat through a full term. It also reverses the pattern from June, when South Carolina Republicans rejected a Trump-backed candidate in the governor's runoff, reaffirming his sway over the state's primary electorate.
The margin: Graham Nordone won the head-to-head about 52% to 48%. The two reached the runoff after the Aug. 11 special primary, where she led a 10-candidate field with roughly 33% to Norman's 25%, short of the majority needed to win outright.
The fine print: Trump went all in, having recruited Graham Nordone after her brother's death on July 11, endorsed her before she entered, and traveled to Myrtle Beach for a rally four days before the runoff. She was also backed by Gov. Henry McMaster, who appointed her, and Sen. Tim Scott.
On the record: Norman did not hide his frustration in defeat. "I never understood why he got in this race," he said of Trump, while adding that he accepted the result.
The counter: Norman ran on his record as a five-term congressman and Freedom Caucus member, arguing that Graham Nordone was unprepared for the Senate. His case sharpened after Graham’s comment during the runoff’s only debate that she was “not that informed on national security” when asked about Taiwan.
The backdrop: Graham, who had never held elected office, leaned into her outsider status, her family's ties to South Carolina politics, and Trump's support. In victory she credited the president for carrying her across the finish line and paid tribute to her brother, whose seat she was appointed to fill six weeks ago. Norman, who finished third in June's gubernatorial primary, is now leaving the U.S. House.
Looking ahead: Graham Nordone faces Democrat Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician, on Nov. 3 for a full six-year term. Republicans enter heavily favored in a state Trump carried by nearly 18 points and where no Democrat has won a Senate race since Fritz Hollings in 1998.