Darline Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), asserted that she is not being handed the Senate seat her brother held for decades. Her comments came as she cast her ballot in Tuesday's special GOP primary.
"I don’t see it that way," Graham stated in a video clip that gained significant traction on the social platform X. "I’m not being handed this seat."
This assertion was quickly challenged by a widely visible community note on X, which stated, "She is literally being handed this seat."
Graham was appointed to fill her brother's vacant seat by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R). This interim appointment followed a statement from former President Donald Trump suggesting that appointing her would serve as a "wonderful tribute" to his late friend.
Trump's subsequent endorsement of Graham's candidacy for a full six-year term reportedly surprised some South Carolina Republicans. CJ Westfall, chair of the Dorchester County GOP, commented to CNN that while he empathized with Graham and the former president's relationship with Lindsey Graham, he believed "he’s certainly getting bad advice." Westfall added, "We’ve got a lot more exciting options for this seat. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity."
In Tuesday's primary, Darline Graham secured the first-place position with 32.7% of the vote. However, she did not achieve a majority and is scheduled to compete in a runoff election later this month against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). The victor of this runoff will advance to face pediatrician Annie Andrews, the Democratic nominee, in the general election scheduled for November.