South Carolina Republicans have officially nominated Darline Graham to represent the party in November's general election for the US Senate seat previously held by her late brother. Graham secured a clear victory in the primary runoff held late Tuesday, successfully defeating Representative Ralph Norman.
The nomination process drew significant attention due to the high-profile involvement of US President Donald Trump. Beyond his formal endorsement, Trump shared a stage with Graham in South Carolina last Friday, telling the crowd that he considered himself to be "on the ballot" as well. However, the President’s support appeared complicated just one day before the runoff. In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that for "a few" of his endorsed candidates, winning was "almost impossible," though he maintained he felt "obligated" to back them. These comments surfaced amid broader concerns regarding the viability of Graham's campaign.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding those remarks, Graham performed strongly across the state. While Representative Norman maintained solid support in his home base of Greenville, he was unable to overcome Graham’s momentum elsewhere. Graham achieved a particularly decisive win in the area surrounding Myrtle Beach, where she had campaigned alongside the President the previous week.
Financial backing also played a notable role in the race. According to Federal Election Commission filings, MAGA INC., a political action committee established to support the President, invested nearly one million dollars to bolster Graham's campaign efforts.
