Darline Graham has won the South Carolina Republican Senate runoff, defeating Congressman Ralph Norman. The victory was significantly bolstered by the endorsement and active campaigning of former President Donald Trump, despite questions raised about Graham's qualifications by some state Republicans.
NBC News projected Graham as the winner shortly before 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. She ran as the adopted sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
Trump had encouraged Graham to enter the race following her brother's death and intensified his support in the final days. He held multiple rallies in the state on her behalf, including an appearance in Myrtle Beach on Friday where he urged supporters to vote for her as if he were on the ballot.
"I love her," Trump told supporters at a rally. "I asked her to do it. I got her into this whole thing. I have to make sure she gets in because there will be nobody better."
The MAGA Inc. super PAC, aligned with Trump, contributed over $827,000 to support Graham's campaign. Trump conducted a second tele-rally for Graham on Monday night to mobilize his base.
Graham's campaign faced challenges, including a notable debate performance where she admitted to not being well-informed on national security issues, particularly concerning Taiwan and the South China Sea. "I'm just gonna be honest here. I'm not on national security — I'm not that informed on national security, so… But I do support the military," she stated.
Representative Norman utilized this moment to criticize Graham's preparedness, arguing on X that "South Carolina deserves a Senator who understands Foreign Policy. I'm a peace through strength supporter! No more forever wars!"
Another gaffe during the debate involved Graham stating that 50 million people in South Carolina were living paycheck to paycheck, a figure vastly exceeding the state's population of approximately 5.5 million. Norman pointed out this inaccuracy on X, noting, "If we're going to talk about the affordability crisis in our state, we should start by knowing that South Carolina has 5.5 million people."
While Norman secured victories in several northwestern counties, including those around Greenville, Graham's strong connection with Trump's base proved decisive. Senator Tim Scott had endorsed Graham a week prior to her debate, expressing confidence in her candidacy after observing her performance.
Graham is now the presumptive favorite in the general election against Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician.