South Carolina chooses Darline Graham as Republican nominee for US Senate

South Carolina voters have selected Darline Graham as the Republican nominee for the US Senate seat, vacated by her late brother, Lindsey Graham, in the November election. Graham, who received backing from President Donald Trump, overcame concerns about her lack of legislative experience by narrowly defeating five-term congressman Ralph Norman in the special primary runoff.

With 52.4% of the vote, Graham secured victory over Norman's 47.6%. Lindsey Graham, a US senator for over two decades, had previously won the party's primary but passed away the following month. Darline Graham, a career civil servant and head of South Carolina's Commission for the Blind, was appointed to serve out her brother's term.

In her campaign, she acknowledged criticism about her inexperience, stating, "The critics say I shouldn't run for the Senate. They say I'm not a politician. You know what I say? Guilty as charged." Graham will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a Charleston-area pediatrician, in November. Trump endorsed Graham's appointment as an experienced civil servant, encouraging voters to support her by pretending she is on the ballot.

Norman, a member of the far-right House Freedom caucus, was ranked as one of Congress's most conservative members, but his endorsement of Nikki Haley over Trump in 2023 cast doubt on his loyalty to the current administration.