Sen. Lindsey Graham Defeats Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina’s Republican Primary Run-O
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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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New York PostGraham (R-SC), who was endorsed and encouraged by President Trump to run for Lindsay Graham’s seat following the longtime senator’s shocking death last month, topped Norman (R-SC) 53-47% in the Palmetto State primary runoff, with more than three-fourths of the ballots counted.
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.
USA TodayDarline Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina advanced to a runoff after an Aug. 11 primary, when neither candidate earned over 50% of the votes. Graham assumed her brother's seat in the Senate after he suddenly died of an aortic dissection. Graham was sworn into office as her sibling's interim replacement and is now running to be his full-time replacement for a full term beginning in 2027.
The HillLive results: Graham, Norman square off for GOP nod in South Carolina Senate runoff Sen. Darline Graham (R) is squaring off against Rep. Ralph Norman (R) for the GOP nod in the South Carolina Senate race. The pair advanced to the runoff earlier this month after neither candidate garnered more than half the vote in the crowded primary field. Graham, who notched President Trump’s support, led Norman by 8…
BreitbartDarline Graham Nordone has won the South Carolina Republican Senate runoff, defeating Rep. Ralph Norman by 53-47 percent and giving President Donald Trump a huge win on Tuesday. The race was called by Decision Desk and NBC News.
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.
RealClearPoliticsSen. Darline Graham won the GOP Senate runoff in South Carolina on Tuesday night, CBS News projects, defeating Rep. Ralph Norman in the special primary to replace Graham's late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, on the ballot.
Washington TimesThe two-week runoff window since the two Republicans were the top vote-getters in an Aug. 11 primary has been a slugfest. Darline Graham — a political newcomer serving as interim replacement for her late brother - has struggled to define herself to voters who routinely backed Lindsey Graham in the heavily Republican state. Norman, who’s served the better part of two decades in state and federal elected office, has stressed his experience to voters already aware of him from his years in Congress, plus an unsuccessful run for governor earlier this year.
Washington ExaminerAfter polls initially placed Graham Nordone ahead of her opponent, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), her momentum stalled after she said she was “not that informed on national security,” causing voters to question her experience. Graham Nordone was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) following the unexpected death of her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
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.
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.
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.
The AtlanticLess than 48 hours after Senator Lindsey Graham died suddenly from heart issues last month, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s younger sister to complete the remaining six months of his term. Soon after that, Darline Graham announced that she would also run for a full six-year term, a bid that came at President Trump’s request. In the solidly red state, her biggest hurdle is likely to come in a primary runoff today. She is running in part on the legacy of her brother—but also in ways that bear no resemblance to the way he approached the job.
PBS NewsHourGraham and Norman make final push in South Carolina GOP Senate runoff On Tuesday, Republican voters in South Carolina will vote to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on November's ballot in a runoff between his sister Darline and Congressman Ralph Norman. As South Carolina ETV's Gavin Jackson reports, the closing days of this electoral sprint featured a major debate gaffe and a campaign rally with President Trump.
The FederalistGraham beat proven conservative Rep. Ralph Norman by 5 percentage points (52.5% to 47.5%), with primary voters opting for a “woefully” unprepared “very nice lady” over a five-term congressman and Freedom Caucus member who is informed on national security.
ABC NewsFacing off are Lindsey Graham's sister, Sen. Darline Graham -- a political newcomer who was first appointed to the seat to finish out the rest of Lindsey Graham's term -- and Rep. Ralph Norman, a staunch conservative and member of the hard line Freedom Caucus. Whoever wins the runoff will face Democratic candidate Annie Andrews in November.
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.
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Trump got more endorsement magic on Aug. 25 as his pick for Oklahoma governor, former state Sen. Mike Mazzei, defeated state Attorney General Gentner Drummond in a Republican primary runoff.
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The Federalist‘Helping Us Across the Finish Line’ Trump padded his endorsement record on Tuesday in Oklahoma’s governor runoff election, with former state Sen. Mike Mazzei’s paper-thin win over Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. The Republicans fought a bruising battle, with Drummond holding a slight edge in June’s primary, which set up Tuesday’s runoff.
NBC NewsMore election news: Trump’s influence also prevailed in Oklahoma, where former state Sen. Mike Mazzei secured the GOP nomination for governor, narrowly defeating state Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
BreitbartRunoffs in Oklahoma are taking place as well, with the gubernatorial GOP runoff between Trump-endorse Mike Mazzei and Attorney General Gentner Drummond drawing headlines.
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"The thing that hammered it home was his visit and telling the MAGA crowd that his endorsement was unequivocal," Scott Huffmon, a political science professor at Winthrop University, told USA TODAY. "Trump left no doubt who he was behind, and they voted the way he told them to, period." That led the Trump-endorsed incumbent and political neophyte to beat hardline conservative Rep. Ralph Norman in the heavily Republican state, 52% to 48%, the Associated Press and NBC News projected.
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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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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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USA TodayGraham started her victory speech at a Columbia watch party by reflecting on her brother's death. She said she misses her brother every day.
The AtlanticDarline Graham has talked about the difficulty of campaigning while grieving, saying that she has not had time to fully process her brother’s death. She has said that sometimes, in the morning, she has time to reflect: “I think a lot about what I would say to him.” She remarked to a crowd at a barbecue joint in Florence, South Carolina, that she’d lost 10 pounds during the monthlong campaign following her brother’s death. “It’s been absolutely brutal. This past month has been brutal,” she said during a speech after making it to the runoff, one month after her brother’s death. “None of this has been comfortable for me. But like I said, I’m a fighter.” Her campaign and Senate office did not respond to my inquiries.
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During 12 years with the Vocational Rehabilitation Department, Graham served as the business services director and communications director, according to the biography. She currently serves on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and is president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.
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Washington TimesMs. Graham, 62, had never previously held public office. The married mother of two, who is also a grandmother, has largely lived out of the public eye. She spent her career helping people with disabilities and most recently served as the commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.
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“Lindsey was one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, and his sister shares his deep love of our Country, and the State of South Carolina,” the president continued, adding that “there is nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother.”
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Breitbart“Lindsey was one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, and his sister shares his deep love of our Country, and the State of South Carolina. During her visit, I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate,” he wrote.
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She has also pointed to differences with her brother, saying that she would favor getting rid of the filibuster, something that he resisted, and that she would take a tougher line on immigration. Her brother supported creating a clearer pathway to citizenship. “I love Lindsey to death, but I’m a little bit stronger on immigration,” she said during a campaign event last week. “To me, it’s really clear; it’s a black-and-white issue: It’s legal versus illegal. If you’re here illegally, you should be deported. You’re breaking the law.”
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New York Post“I loved my brother Lindsey, and I miss him so much every day. But on illegal immigration, I’m tougher than he was,” she said at the Myrtle Beach rally. “It’s simple. If you are here illegally, you got to go.”
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"Lindsey Graham was well informed on the United States' national security. Darline Graham admits she's not. This is not something you inherit. And it's critical in the U.S. Senate," Haley wrote on X last week.
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The Daily WireFormer South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley criticized the remark. “Lindsey Graham was well informed on the United States’ national security. Graham admits she’s not,” Haley said. “This is not something you inherit. And it’s critical in the U.S. Senate.”
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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 The Federalist But Democrats may have helped Graham’s cause, too. She was viewed by many as the weaker of the two candidates in the GOP runoff — the one Dems would rather face in November. As conservative activist Tyler Bowyer noted, the Democrats who did not vote in the primary could opt to vote in the Republican primary runoff “for a second dip” in South Carolina’s open primaries.
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02 USA Today Here are the results for the GOP Senate runoff, according to the Associated Press and CNN.
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03 New York Post She previously bested Norman and several other contenders, including former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC), businessman Mark Lynch, and more, in the initial Aug. 11 special GOP Senate primary.
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04 Washington Examiner Maybe voters, including even Republican primary voters, are more interested in the economy and domestic issues than foreign affairs.
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05 Fox News "So I've known her through Lindsey — I've known her for so long," he continued. "I think Lindsey respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me."
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06 NPR News The outcome of Tuesday's race will test President Trump's influence in the state.
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07 NBC News A look back at Dolly Parton’s life and accomplishments. Sen. Darline Graham wins the GOP primary runoff for her late brother’s Senate seat. And NASA’s new telescope could change our understanding of the universe.
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08 The Guardian US Shrai Popat One of the oldest abortion rights groups in the US is endorsing Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee in Maine’s critical US Senate race, according to details first shared with the Guardian.
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09 The Atlantic It’s something that happens so often in politics that there’s a name for it: widow’s succession. Dozens of times over the past century, women have filled a seat previously occupied by their late husband, and some have gone on to serve a long career.
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10 ABC News Norman, meanwhile, has said that his experience is his "resume" and that conservatives in the Palmetto State can trust him more than a relative unknown like Graham.
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11 The Daily Wire “There’s nothing enormously special about him. But, you know what you’re going to get. He is a solid conservative voter,” Ryan Girdusky, a conservative political consultant, previously told The Daily Wire.
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12 HuffPost The race had divided the world of Trump’s followers and supporters, with a considerable number breaking with Trump and backing Norman. The American Conservative Union, for example, which stages the various “Conservative Political Action Conferences” in the United States and abroad, and which in recent years has essentially become a propaganda arm for Trump, backed Norman over Graham.
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13 Breitbart Trump’s support did not keep ambitious Palmetto State politicos on the sidelines. Norman, Rep. Russell Fry, former governor and representative Mark Sanford, and others jumped into the race.
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14 Washington Times Her victory came with the help of President Trump, who enthusiastically endorsed her and hosted a get-out-the-vote rally in Myrtle Beach on Friday.
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