South Carolina GOP Senate Primary Heads to Runoff

Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman will face off in a runoff for the South Carolina Republican Senate primary. The runoff was necessary because no candidate won a majority of the vote. Graham, who was appointed to the seat by Gov. Henry McMaster after her brother's death, has the support of President Trump. Norman, a hard-line conservative, has presented himself as a proven conservative with a strong record. The winner of the runoff will be heavily favored to win the general election in November against Democrat Annie Andrews. South Carolina is a reliably Republican state, and Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate election there since 1998.

The runoff will test Trump's influence over the Republican electorate, as nearly every major candidate in the primary supported his agenda. Graham and Norman have 14 days to consolidate the supporters of the eliminated candidates before the runoff.

Graham entered the race on July 20, just days after being appointed to the seat, and announced her campaign during an interview with TV host Sean Hannity. Norman, who is the vice chair of the House Freedom Caucus, has described himself as a friend of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and endorsed her in the 2024 election.

The result of the primary narrows a sprawling contest to a head-to-head fight between Graham and Norman. Graham has cast herself as a political outsider who can continue her brother's constituent-focused work while serving as a reliable vote for Trump's agenda. Norman has argued that Republican voters should judge candidates by their records, presenting himself as a proven conservative.