Overview
- Darline Graham beat Rep. Ralph Norman in the Republican runoff, winning roughly 53% of the vote to become the GOP nominee.
- Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham to fill Lindsey Graham’s term and her campaign leaned on the family name and rapid incumbency.
- President Trump actively campaigned for Graham, held a tele‑rally and benefited her bid with a last‑day MAGA Inc. push of nearly $830,000 for voter calls and texts.
- Graham’s candidacy was clouded by a debate moment in which she said she was "not that informed on national security," raising questions about her readiness for a six‑year Senate term.
- Reporting varied on the wider meaning of the result, with some outlets treating it as evidence of Trump’s continuing influence in GOP primaries and others stressing lingering concerns about nominee experience and outside spending in compressed special elections.