Darline Graham, Ralph Norman go head-to-head in South Carolina’s GOP Senate runoff

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Senator Darline Graham and U.S. Representative Ralph Norman are in a fierce head-to-head battle in South Carolina's Republican Senate runoff, taking place on Tuesday to replace the late Lindsey Graham. The two have been campaigning vigorously since the two-week runoff window opened after they topped the vote count in the August primary.

Darline Graham, who is serving as an interim replacement for her late brother, has had difficulty establishing her political stance to voters who typically supported Lindsey Graham. Ralph Norman, who has been in state and federal elected office for nearly two decades, has focused on his experience to sway voters who are already familiar with him from his years in Congress and an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign earlier this year.

A super PAC supporting President Donald Trump has contributed nearly $830,000 to Graham's campaign, aiming to boost the novice candidate, whose political views were initially unclear. Norman, known for his hard-line conservatism, has yet to prove if his appeal extends statewide, two months after he finished third in the Republican gubernatorial primary. The influence of Trump's backing on Graham's campaign is still uncertain, but the former president's endorsement has been seen as a significant boost for her candidacy.