Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Darline Graham Wins South Carolina Senate Runoff, Boosting Trump
Republicans in South Carolina chose Darline Graham as their candidate for the U.S. Senate.
She defeated Representative Ralph Norman in a runoff election.
President Donald Trump supported Graham and campaigned with her in Myrtle Beach.
He said voters should think of him as being on the ballot too.
A group called MAGA INC.
spent $827,711 to help her campaign with calls and text messages.
Graham had faced questions about her limited experience with national security issues.
She focused instead on domestic issues such as affordability, immigration and abortion.
She will now compete against Democrat Annie Andrews in November.
South Carolina is strongly Republican, so Graham is expected to have an advantage in the general election.
Darline Graham defeated Representative Ralph Norman in South Carolina’s Republican Senate runoff on August 25.
President Donald Trump endorsed Graham, rallied with her in Myrtle Beach and framed the contest as a test of his influence.
MAGA INC. spent $827,711 on voter calls and text messages supporting Graham, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Graham had stronger results across much of the state, while Norman performed well in his Greenville-area base.
Graham will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November for a full six-year Senate term.
- Who
- Darline Graham defeated Representative Ralph Norman; President Donald Trump supported Graham, who will face Democrat Annie Andrews.
- What
- Graham won the Republican primary runoff for South Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat and secured the party’s nomination.
- When
- The runoff was held Tuesday, August 25; the general election is scheduled for November.
- Where
- South Carolina, including Myrtle Beach, where Trump campaigned with Graham, and Greenville, where Norman performed well.
- Why
- The contest determined the Republican Senate nominee and served as a test of Trump’s influence among Republican primary voters.
Trump’s Influence and Strategic Value
Local Factors and Limits
Meaning of Graham’s victory
Trump’s Influence and Strategic Value
Trump’s endorsement, rally appearance and MAGA INC. spending produced a significant victory and showed that he retains considerable influence among Republican primary voters.
Local Factors and Limits
South Carolina is a deeply conservative state where Trump has performed strongly, so the result does not prove that his endorsed candidates will win in competitive states.
Impact of MAGA INC. spending
Trump’s Influence and Strategic Value
The $827,711 investment was an unusually large commitment by the pro-Trump super PAC and could encourage more spending for Trump-backed candidates in future primaries.
Local Factors and Limits
The spending should not be treated as the sole reason Graham won; the result also reflected her family connection, Trump’s endorsement, local conditions and the candidates’ own campaigns.
Graham’s Senate role
Trump’s Influence and Strategic Value
Graham has followed her late brother Lindsey Graham’s support for Trump and could become another ally for the president in the Senate.
Local Factors and Limits
Her future independence is uncertain, and she may follow Senate leadership like many first-term senators rather than act as a prominent rebel.
- Republican nominee
- Darline Graham
- Defeated candidate
- Representative Ralph Norman
- General-election opponent
- Annie Andrews, a Democratic nominee and pediatrician
- Trump’s involvement
- Trump endorsed Graham, rallied with her in Myrtle Beach and described himself as being on the ballot.
- MAGA INC. spending
- The pro-Trump super PAC spent $827,711 on voter calls and text messages supporting Graham on August 24.
- Senate status
- Graham was appointed to temporarily hold the seat after her brother’s death on July 11 and is seeking a full six-year term.
- Primary field
- Graham and Norman were the top two vote-getters in an earlier 10-candidate Republican primary but needed a runoff.
- Trump approval
- A Reuters/Ipsos poll cited in the reports found that 33% of Americans approved of Trump’s performance.
