U.S. Rep. Russell Fry has endorsed Sen. Darline Graham in the South Carolina Republican Senate primary runoff, stating that she is the best candidate to replace her late brother on the general election ballot. Fry announced his support Friday, emphasizing Graham's capacity to advance President Donald Trump's agenda and her understanding of the struggles faced by ordinary people.
Fry finished third in a special primary election held Tuesday, which saw Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman advance to the August 25 runoff. Graham's bid for the seat has also received backing from other prominent Republicans, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and President Trump, whose early endorsement was instrumental in Trump's own congressional career.
"President Trump needs fighters and allies in the Senate who will show up every day and get results," Fry said in a news release. "I believe Darline Graham will be exactly that."
Darline Graham's brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, died unexpectedly last month. Darline Graham was appointed to serve the remainder of his current term and subsequently decided to run for the seat. She secured the largest share of votes in the initial primary but did not achieve the majority required to avoid a runoff.
The special primary took place just one month after Lindsey Graham's death, leading to a condensed and at times tumultuous campaign among the 10 candidates vying to succeed him. Significant rhetoric emerged between Fry and a political action committee supporting Darline Graham, which ran advertisements noting that Trump, despite initially calling Fry an "outstanding" choice, ultimately endorsed Graham.
Graham has closely aligned herself with Trump, mirroring her late brother's strong support for the former president. Both Fry and Graham have frequently highlighted their humble backgrounds as a point of connection for understanding everyday economic issues.
"Darline knows what it means to struggle, persevere, and keep fighting when life deals you a difficult hand," Fry said of Graham, 62. He noted that her challenging upbringing, which included being adopted by her older brother after their parents' deaths when she was young, shaped her and provides her with a genuine understanding of the challenges faced by families across South Carolina.
Trump had previously campaigned for Fry in his first House campaign in 2022, which resulted in the state lawmaker unseating a five-term GOP congressman who had voted to impeach Trump.
GOP strategist Matt Gorman suggested that Fry's endorsement of Graham is a strategic political move for the 41-year-old, two-term congressman, considering the consequences some Republicans have faced for diverging from Trump. "Russell is a smart guy with a long career ahead of him," Gorman commented. "It makes zero sense to get crosswise with either President Trump or Tim Scott. If he wants to, Fry will get another shot at the seat because Graham or Norman won’t be there multiple decades."
The winner of the GOP runoff will face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in the general election in November. Historically, no Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades.