Overview
- Darline Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in the Republican runoff Tuesday to secure the GOP nomination for the South Carolina Senate seat.
- President Trump endorsed Graham, campaigned for her in person and virtually, and MAGA Inc. spent more than $800,000 on texts and phone outreach to boost her turnout.
- Runoff turnout rose by about 33,000 voters compared with the earlier primary, a boost analysts attribute to the late presidential intervention and outside spending.
- Norman publicly criticized Trump in his concession speech and his supporters booed mentions of the president, highlighting visible intra‑party friction over outside influence.
- Graham, who was appointed in July to fill her late brother Lindsey Graham’s seat and has limited political experience, will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November in a race rated about R+8 with broader implications for how and where Trump invests in future GOP contests.