Overview
- CNN and other outlets projected that Darline Graham won the Republican runoff held Tuesday, Aug. 25, securing the GOP nomination for the special Senate race.
- Graham was appointed in July by Governor Henry McMaster to fill the late Lindsey Graham’s seat and became the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate when she was sworn in.
- President Donald Trump campaigned for Graham and urged voters to treat the contest as if he were on the ballot while MAGA Inc. spent about $800,000–$830,000 on automated calls and texts to boost her runoff bid.
- The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition spent roughly $1 million targeting Rep. Ralph Norman over his stance on renewable energy, a move that independent groups and PAC spending analysts say helped shape the runoff outcome.
- Graham now faces Democrat Annie Andrews in November for the remainder of the term through January 2027, and Republicans have been urged to unify even as some party members express discomfort about the seat effectively passing to a family member.