South Carolina Senate Race Tests Trump's Endorsement Power as Crowded Field Emerges
The race to fill the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's seat in South Carolina has become a new test of Donald Trump's political influence. Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to fill her brother's term, announced she will seek a full term with Trump's endorsement. However, a crowded field of Republican opponents, including Rep. Russell Fry, Rep. Ralph Norman, businessman Mark Lynch, and potential candidates like former Gov. Mark Sanford and Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, have not been deterred. This signals that challenging a Trump-backed candidate may no longer be a career-ender within the party. Trump's recent endorsement setbacks in Iowa and Georgia gubernatorial races, along with Evette's loss despite his backing, have emboldened challengers. All candidates are running as staunch Trump supporters, competing to prove their loyalty to the MAGA agenda.
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