Darline Graham wins primary to contest late brother’s US Senate seat

Voters in South Carolina have selected Darline Graham, late Senator Lindsey Graham's sister, as the Republican candidate to challenge the senator's seat in November. The politician's victory is attributed to President Donald Trump's support, who campaigned for her during his visit to the state. Graham's ascent is viewed as proof of Trump's ongoing impact on the Republican Party.

She currently serves as a temporary replacement for her brother, who passed away unexpectedly in July, and has never previously run for elected office. Primary elections were held in multiple states on Tuesday, as both parties narrowed their candidate lists for the midterms. Experts predict that Graham will likely succeed in the November election.

South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the Senate for many years. The midterms play a crucial role in determining which party will control the US Congress, which in turn affects the latter stages of Trump's presidency. Graham was in a head-to-head race against Ralph Norman, a right-wing Republican Congressman who portrayed her as a puppet of Washington politicians.

Norman, a Trump supporter, had initially endorsed Haley as his pick for the 2024 Republican presidential candidate. With the vote count nearing completion, Graham secured 52.5% of the votes, according to CBS News, a prominent US partner of BBC News. In a post on X, she expressed gratitude to her supporters and President Trump, stating that she was "deeply honored and humbled" by the outcome.

During her primary campaign, Graham admitted her limited political experience, especially after a foreign-policy question during a recent debate, where she admitted: "National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military." Trump's influence over the party was also tested in Oklahoma, where Mike Mazzei, a former state legislator endorsed by the president, faced off against Gentner Drummond, the state's attorney general.

The winner is anticipated to become the next governor in the predominantly Republican state. South Carolina was not the only state to hold an election on Tuesday to fill a vacant lawmaker's position. In Georgia, voters in the Atlanta area were asked to choose a successor for Democratic Congressman David Scott, who died in April.

Marcye Scott, daughter of the late congressman, was among those vying for the role. However, projections in US media indicate she lost to opponent Everton Blair, who will assume the role until the new year. Blair will compete again in November to replace his father's seat in the following year.