President Donald Trump put his endorsement behind one contender and personally appealed to voters before the primary, but even that support was not enough to prevent another round of voting.
Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman advanced to an Aug. 25 Republican runoff for the remainder of the term of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to AP race calls.
Darline Graham, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster last month following her brother’s death, received enough votes to advance but failed to reach the threshold necessary to win the crowded Republican primary outright.
The runoff gives Graham less than two weeks to convince Republican voters to keep her in the Senate against Norman, a House Freedom Caucus member who has represented South Carolina in Congress since 2017.
Trump endorsed Graham following her appointment and made another appeal on her behalf during a tele-rally Monday.
“[She] will help us achieve our mission to Make America Great Again,” Trump said.
“She looks so nice, but she’s actually tough and strong, and she’s the perfect person to carry on Lindsey’s legacy,” the president added.
Graham has spent her first weeks in Washington casting votes on several major issues, including the confirmation of Todd Blanche as attorney general and legislation long championed by her brother imposing sanctions targeting Russia and purchasers of Russian oil and gas.
At a campaign event Saturday in Florence, Graham acknowledged the difficulty of simultaneously serving in Washington and running a statewide campaign.
“This campaign schedule has been absolutely brutal,” Graham told reporters.
“But you know what, I’m still standing, I’m still going and that shows you how strong I am,” she said.
⚡️NEW: Trump-backed Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman will advance to a Republican runoff in the special election to replace Graham’s late brother, Lindsey Graham, NBC News projects.
With 80.8% of the expected vote counted, Graham led with 32.6%, followed by Norman at… https://t.co/qbisgjVDo5 pic.twitter.com/D7iLcS5kgW
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) August 12, 2026
Graham has sought to distinguish herself from her late brother by emphasizing household economic concerns while acknowledging his focus on national security and federal policy.
“He was more of an expert on the federal budget, like I said I know the family struggles so I’m an expert on the family budget,” Graham said.
“While I know national security is important I’m going to be more focused on the family struggles,” she added.
Norman is presenting Republican voters with a different argument, emphasizing his congressional experience, fiscal conservatism and record of supporting spending reductions.
“The Senate is the body where good bills die,” Norman said during a campaign event earlier this month.
Norman said he would support “the president’s agenda, America First agenda, with peace through strength,” while arguing that “the economy we have to get back on track.”
Norman has received endorsements from Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rick Scott of Florida and recently finished third in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
Other prominent Republicans entered Tuesday’s crowded Senate contest but failed to earn enough support to reach the runoff.
Rep. Russell Fry campaigned despite Trump’s endorsement of Graham and rejected arguments that his candidacy represented a challenge to the president or could unnecessarily complicate Republican politics.
“I think that’s a lot of distraction, I think more choices let the conservative movement thrive,” Fry told reporters Saturday.
Former South Carolina Gov. and Congressman Mark Sanford also attempted another political comeback after decades as one of the state’s most recognizable Republican politicians.
Sanford emphasized government spending and his experience making budget decisions as governor, even reviving his famous “Pork and Barrel” stunt by appearing with pigs days before the election.
“There is something very different about being an executive and being held responsible for results on the numbers that do impact people’s lives here at home,” Sanford said, NPR reported.
The Republican contest drew substantial early participation, with approximately 61,000 GOP voters casting ballots during three days of early voting, according to the South Carolina State Election Commission.
