Darline Graham wins South Carolina GOP primary runoff to succeed late brother Lindsey

Topline

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., won the Republican primary runoff to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, for a full term, after President Donald Trump campaigned for her and his super PAC spent nearly $1 million supporting her.

Key Facts

• The race was called by the Associated Press at 8 p.m. ET. With nearly all ballots counted, Graham won 52.5% of the vote, while Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., won 47.6%.
• The two had advanced to a runoff election after neither secured the majority of votes needed to win the Aug. 11 primary outright. Graham topped the field with 33% support, while Norman polled second at 25%.
• Lindsey Graham won his June primary with 57% of the vote, about a month before his death on July 11.
• Graham will face Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews in the November election.
• The seat is considered safely Republican.

Big Number

$827,000. That is how much Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC spent to help elect Graham, according to Federal Election Commission records. Prior to Graham’s race, the super PAC had spent only about $18,000 on this year’s midterms.

Tangent

Graham was criticized for saying in a debate last week she is "not that informed on national security," despite it being one of her brother’s areas of expertise. She made the statement in response to a question about Taiwan and the South China Sea. She acknowledged during the debate, "I’m not a polished politician . . . national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military."

Key Background

South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham to serve the remaining few months of her brother’s term. Prior to her appointment, Trump expressed support for the move, and afterward, he said he would support her running for a full term. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., also backed Graham.

Lindsey Graham died suddenly at the age of 71 on July 11 from a tear in his aorta. He was best known as a foreign policy hawk—a staunch critic of Iran and fierce supporter of Ukraine and Israel—and a close ally of Trump’s. He took over as his sister’s legal guardian when their parents died within 15 months of each other at a young age, and he spoke fondly of his relationship with his sister over the years.

Darline Graham’s politics were largely unknown when she was appointed to the Senate, and she has frequently avoided impromptu interviews and questions from reporters while on Capitol Hill. She has campaigned on affordability and Trump’s endorsement, despite cost-of-living concerns being a drag on Trump’s approval rating—and Republicans’ midterm prospects. She told Fox News earlier this month, when asked to reconcile support for the Iran war and her affordability messaging, "I realize the price of gas is a little high right now," but said, "I believe in [Trump] when it comes to dealing with Iran."

Norman, who was elected in 2017, announced he was entering the race to succeed Graham in July. While Norman largely aligns with Trump, he endorsed Nikki Haley over Trump in the 2024 Republican primaries.