The special Republican Senate primary in South Carolina will proceed to a runoff election after no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote.
Appointed Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., will face one other contender in the runoff, which is scheduled for two weeks from Tuesday. The primary field included Rep. Ralph Norman, Rep. Russell Fry, and former Gov. and Rep. Mark Sanford. The primary was held one month after the elder Graham's death at age 71.
Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill the remainder of her brother's term by Gov. Henry McMaster, has stated her campaign aims to help "President Trump get his agenda passed." President Trump had endorsed Graham. Both Norman and Fry, who are also House allies of Trump, highlighted their support for the president during their Senate campaigns.
Sanford, who previously mounted a challenge against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2020, focused his campaign on the nation's debt. Businessman Mark Lynch, who lost to Lindsey Graham by a significant margin in a previous primary, was also among the contenders.
However, Trump's endorsement has not guaranteed victory in South Carolina this cycle. In the Republican gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who was backed by Trump, lost a runoff election to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, despite Trump endorsing Wilson in addition to Evette shortly before the runoff.
The winner of the upcoming runoff election is expected to be the strong frontrunner in the general election against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician. The general election will determine who succeeds the late Sen. Lindsey Graham in the U.S. Senate.