Sen. Darline Graham Defeats Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina Republican Primary Runoff
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Sen. Darline Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina’s Republican primary runoff, NBC News projects, a victory for President Donald Trump, who recruited, endorsed and campaigned for her following her brother Lindsey Graham’s death six weeks ago.
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The Daily WireTrump-endorsed Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) won Tuesday’s Republican runoff and will advance to the November general election, overcoming concerns about the political newcomer’s lack of experience as she seeks a full term in her late brother’s Senate seat.
The Guardian USTrump recommended the appointment of Darline Graham, a career civil servant who was head of South Carolina’s Commission for the Blind, then encouraged her to run for a full term – upending a Republican scramble to select a new Senate nominee. She advanced to the runoff election after emerging as the top vote-getter in a 10-candidate field that included two congressmen and a former South Carolina governor.
PoliticoPolitical newcomer Darline Graham wins South Carolina’s GOP Senate runoff Her win in the snap primary to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham comes after President Donald Trump significantly boosted her campaign.
HuffPostDarline Graham, who had never publicly evinced a desire to run for public office prior to being asked by Trump to run for her brother’s seat, defeated congressman Ralph Norman in the runoff election. She will now face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November and, given the state’s recent political history, is likely to win.
Fox NewsSen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., toppled Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in a whirlwind race to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, as the GOP nominee for the Senate after his sudden death in July.
PBS NewsHourDarline Graham wins South Carolina GOP nomination to replace her late brother in U.S. Senate U.S. Sen. Darline Graham won the Republican nomination to replace her late brother on South Carolina's general election ballot, notching another win for President Donald Trump after he threw his support behind the political novice.
New York TimesEven as Trump’s Standing Slips, He Slingshots Darline Graham to Victory After facing low approval ratings and endorsement setbacks, the president made a show of force in lifting Darline Graham to the Republican nomination for Senate in South Carolina.
Washington TimesSen. Darline Graham was the projected winner over five-term GOP Rep. Ralph Norman, leading by four percentage points with more than 98% of the vote tallied.
NPR NewsAfter no candidate in a crowded field won outright in a Republican special primary earlier this month, the state is holding a runoff between Graham's sister, Sen. Darline Graham, and Congressman Ralph Norman.
The FederalistThe Trump endorsement wins again, this time in the Palmetto State’s special primary runoff where Darline Graham secured the GOP nomination for the Senate seat her late brother long held.
Washington ExaminerTuesday night produced a strong outcome for the power of Trump’s nod on both the congressional and gubernatorial side of the ballot. Graham Nordone secured her win over Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) in South Carolina’s special GOP Senate primary, winning by 4.9 percentage points, while Mazzei toppled Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond in the state’s GOP gubernatorial runoff race by a 0.6 percentage point margin.
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‘Our Victory Would not have been Possible’ “I want to thank President Trump for all of his support and his endorsement,” the Republican nominee said following her win. Speaking to her biggest benefactor, Graham said her brother truly loved the president and thought of Trump as one of his closest friends.
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Washington TimesIn her speech, Ms. Graham also thanked Mr. Trump and said “our victory would not have been possible without you” and called the state “truly Trump country.”
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"Darline is somebody I've known for a long time," Trump said during a rally for her in Myrtle Beach last week. "I asked her to do this. I said, ‘Darline, you got to do it,’ because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her."
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NPR News"I'm doing this to honor Lindsey. That's why I'm here," Trump said at the Myrtle Beach rally on Aug. 21. "So, Darline, we got to win that race."
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Graham has styled herself as a much different politician than her brother, focused more on domestic issues than foreign.
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The Daily WireGraham has previously outlined the differences between herself and her brother on foreign policy, saying in a July interview that she preferred to focus on issues that matter to “the average person.”
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Norman, a conservative Republican who endorsed Haley in the 2024 presidential primary, had a long track record in South Carolina politics. He was first elected to Congress in a 2017 special election and previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
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NPR NewsHe also appeals to some Trump skeptics. While Norman aligned with the president politically, he endorsed his longtime friend former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley in her 2024 presidential bid against Trump.
NBC NewsNorman first irritated Trump when he became the only House Republican to endorse former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley over Trump in the 2024 presidential primary race.
The Guardian USHis campaign sought to cast Graham as a creation of the Washington elite and himself as the true heir to South Carolina’s Maga legacy. But many of Trump’s most ardent supporters in South Carolina remember that, in 2023, Norman endorsed Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, over Trump in her candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.
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Since then, he’s been a constant thorn in Trump’s side. Last year, Norman, a member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, clashed with Trump and GOP leaders by initially opposing the president’s landmark tax-and-spending cuts package, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” But he eventually voted yes after successfully negotiating to speed up work requirements for Medicaid recipients and the elimination of Biden-era wind and solar tax credits.
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The Guardian USA deluge – by South Carolinian standards – of negative advertising suggested that Norman had bucked Trump on border security votes, a charge he says mischaracterized his long holdout on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to strip subsidies for electric cars and renewable energy. “I would do that over again,” he said in a debate. “I don’t apologize.”
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Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Washington Examiner “When I put on this coat, I carry the weight of every patient’s trust,” Andrews said in the 30-second video. “We should expect the same from our leaders. I’m Dr. Annie Andrews. I’m a mom to three kids and a pediatrician. I’m running for Senate to lower healthcare costs. Go after insurance companies ripping us off, and I’ll work with Republicans to cut taxes and keep your family safe. I approve this message because my life’s work has been about helping people. You deserve a senator who does the same.”
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02 The Federalist She couldn’t have been more correct. During his concession speech, Norman told supporters that he never understood why Trump got involved in the South Carolina race. Darline Graham is thanking her lucky stars that he did.
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03 HuffPost “I think Trump making this a referendum on himself meant that MAGA voters in key places turned out and voted for the candidate he endorsed,” said Scott Huffmon, a political scientist and pollster at South Carolina’s Winthrop University. “Given Trump‘s recent losses in primary endorsements, that was not a sure thing when polls opened this morning.”
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04 Fox News A powerful name and an endorsement from President Donald Trump proved more than enough to score an unlikely candidate a win in the latest runoff election in South Carolina.
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05 The Guardian US Abortion rights group endorses Democrat Troy Jackson in critical Maine Senate race
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06 RealClearPolitics SCOTUS Joins Trump's Insidious War on Voting Rights
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07 Washington Times In her victory speech Tuesday evening, Ms. Graham said she misses her brother and there is “still a big hole in my heart.”
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08 NPR News The outcome of Tuesday's race will test President Trump's influence in the state.
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09 NBC News Florida Shark Attack Survivor Speaks out, Thanks Heroic Nurses 02:37 Now Playing Darline Graham Wins South Carolina GOP Senate Primary Runoff 02:45 UP NEXT Trump Administration Threatens to Demolish Kennedy Center 00:33 Canada Announces Counter-Tariffs on US as Trade War Ramps up 02:10 Dolly Parton Died After ‘Brief Battle With Cancer,’ Her Team Says 03:39 100-Pound Bear Spotted in Denver Neighborhood Tree 00:24 Two Climbers Rescued Near Big Sur After Being Stranded on Cliff 00:22 San Francisco 49ers Owner Arrested in Prostitution Bust 02:29 Toddler Wanders Onto Soccer Pitch: 'There's a Baby on the Field' 00:49 Alabama High School Football Team Ends Historic Losing Streak 01:20 Off-Duty Nurses Jump Into Action After Man is Bitten by Shark 02:43 The Future Is Here: Air Taxis Unveiled in Downtown Los Angeles 00:33 FDA Approves New Blood Test to Identify Signs of Alzheimer’s 00:28 Supreme Court Hands Preliminary Win to Trump on Mail-in Ballots 02:21 Canada Prepares to Retaliate on Trump's 50% Tariffs 02:12 Firefighters Finally Gain Upper Hand on Raging Nevada Wildfire 03:37 This Skateboarding School for Kids Teaches Tricks and Confidence 04:04 Phone Safety Settings Guide: What to Turn On vs.
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10 The Daily Wire “They say Trump does great when he’s on the ballot. But when he’s not on the ballot, his people don’t come, and they don’t vote for senators, congressmen, and other Republicans,” Trump said. “What I want you to do is pretend – please – like I’m on the ballot. Just come and vote. It’s so important.”
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- huffpost
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- dailywire
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- guardian
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- politico
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- washtimes