Darline Graham, Ralph Norman go head-to-head in South Carolina's GOP
Senate runoff
[August 25, 2026]
By MEG KINNARD
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Darline Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph
Norman face South Carolina voters yet again Tuesday in a special
Republican primary runoff to replace the late Lindsey Graham in the
Senate, one month after his sudden death.
The two-week runoff window since the two Republicans were the top vote
getters in an Aug. 11 primary has been a slugfest. Darline Graham — a
political newcomer serving as interim replacement for her late brother —
has struggled to define herself to voters who routinely backed Lindsey
Graham in the heavily Republican state. Norman, who's served the better
part of two decades in state and federal elected office, has stressed
his experience to voters already aware of him from his years in
Congress, plus an unsuccessful run for governor earlier this year.
In the background of all of this is President Donald Trump, the longtime
Lindsey Graham ally who endorsed Darline Graham's candidacy to replace
her brother in the November general election before she even entered the
race, stumped for her in the state days ahead of the runoff and held a
runoff-eve tele-rally with Graham.
On Monday, MAGA Inc., the super PAC that supports Trump and aligned
Republicans — but has spent little thus far on Trump's picks in this
year's midterms — infused nearly $830,000 into Graham's campaign for
voter calls and text message blasts.
Among the unknowns are if Trump's backing is enough to boost the novice
candidate with the famous last name, but whose political positions were
previously unknown, across the finish line to the nomination. Also yet
to be determined is if Norman's hard-line conservatism has an appeal
statewide, two months after he finished third in the Republican
governor's primary.
Will Trump's backing be enough for Graham?
After losing a top Senate advocate when Lindsey Graham died July 11,
Trump has angled to play a role in picking his successor.
Trump heralded the selection of Darline Graham to serve as her brother’s
interim replacement as “a fabulous tribute." He also urged her to run in
the special primary, endorsing her before she’d made her candidacy
official.
On Friday in Myrtle Beach, Trump reiterated that sentiment to a crowd of
several thousand, encouraging people to vote for Graham to preserve tax
cuts, among other things.
“I want it to happen," he said. “Good luck, Darline.”
In forging a relationship with her, Trump could be angling to develop
another ally to help steer his agenda through the Senate.
Throughout her brief campaign, Graham did just that. She repeatedly
stressed to voters her intent to support Trump’s policy positions and
often referenced in particular her co-sponsorship of a voting bill
that’s become a key priority for the president.
Casting his ballot for Graham at an early voting location near Trump's
rally site, Robert Tropiano said Friday that the president's backing for
the candidate was enough to win his support.
“Trump wants her, he's doing a great job and I believe we should give
him what he wants," Tropiano said.
In the primary's opening days, when she was largely absent from
candidate events due to her obligations as a sitting senator, Graham
reminded voters via video messages that she remained in Washington
“working hard for you” and decried the notion of congressional recess
breaks.
Norman promotes legislative know-how over Graham's inexperience
Fresh off his unsuccessful primary run for governor, Norman entered the
Senate contest as one of several politicians more familiar to South
Carolina voters. He snapped up endorsements from the likes of Sens. Rick
Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, as well as former South Carolina
Sen. Jim DeMint and Turning Point Action, the conservative youth
movement founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
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U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., left, looks on as Sen. Darline
Graham, R-S.C., speaks during a debate ahead of the special GOP
Senate runoff election to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,
in Newberry, S.C., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
During the sprint to the runoff, Norman — one of the most
conservative U.S. House members — frequently touted his experience
in Washington and willingness to take unpopular stances. That
includes at times challenging Trump, whose policies Norman has
routinely supported in Congress. But Norman campaigned against Trump
in the early part of the 2024 presidential primary, siding instead
with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
A wealthy developer before he entered politics, Norman has put some
of his own fortune toward the campaign, including more than $1
million in the closing week.
In the head-to-head with Graham, he's stressed what he characterized
as the highly managed nature of Graham's campaign. He portrayed her
during an interview with The Associated Press as beholden to
“Washington elite” special interests that, by way of funneling money
to her campaign, were “dictating the terms and giving her the
political answers.”
Will Graham's debate flub come back to haunt her?
Graham and Norman met for a single runoff debate, and there was one
moment from the hourlong face-off that lived on.
Graham stumbled over a question about foreign policy — a signature
issue of her late brother — when asked whether the U.S. has a
national security interest in Taiwan and the South China Sea, a
longstanding contention of both Democratic and Republican
administrations.
She struggled to answer before admitting “national security is not
my thing" and “I’m not that informed on national security."
Graham avoided a direct response and instead mentioned her brother’s
wealth of experience and her desire to focus on more domestic issues
like affordability. Norman called Taiwan “a definite ally” when
posed the same question, applauding Trump for “enabling Taiwan to
defend themselves against China.” Afterward, he suggested Graham's
answer showed her lack of qualifications for the office.
The Democratic nominee was chosen months ago
Annie Andrews, a Charleston physician, won her party’s primary in
June outright. Having set up her entire campaign based around
challenging Lindsey Graham, Andrews has been forced to pivot to a
broader critique of the Republican contenders.
No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades.
When Graham last ran in 2020, he defeated his Democratic opponent by
a 10 percentage point margin.
That contest was the most expensive in state history, and among the
country’s most expensive congressional races ever.
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