Appointed Senator Darline Graham has advanced to a runoff in South Carolina’s special Republican primary to permanently fill the seat left vacant by her late brother, longtime Senator Lindsey Graham, as per the projections, with the identity of her eventual opponent still undetermined as counting continued Tuesday night.
Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham to complete the remainder of her brother’s term in July, and she is now seeking a full six-year term of her own in November. US President Donald Trump encouraged Graham to enter the race and later endorsed her in a crowded special primary that ultimately drew ten Republican candidates, including Representatives Russell Fry and Ralph Norman and former Governor Mark Sanford.
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Early returns pointed to a genuinely fractured field rather than a clear frontrunner. With about a quarter of the expected vote counted, Graham held roughly 31 per cent support, while Fry and Norman were locked in a tight fight for second place, each drawing around 23 per cent, according to NBC News’s coverage. The tight margins meant it remained uncertain heading into the night which of her rivals Graham would ultimately face in the runoff.
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Given the size of the field, analysts had long expected the race to require a second round of voting. If no candidate received an outright majority in Tuesday’s election, the race was set to advance to a runoff on 25 August, according to NewsNation. Norman himself predicted the outcome before results even began arriving, telling reporters after casting his vote, “I think getting a majority with 10 people in the race is going to be hard, but we’ve enjoyed it. I met great people, and we’re looking forward to continuing for the next two weeks.”
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The prospect of a runoff carries particular significance for Trump’s political standing in the state, since it raises the possibility that Republican voters could once again decline to immediately ratify his chosen candidate. Norman, when asked by NBC affiliate WCNC of Charlotte whether he would seek Trump’s backing himself if the race proceeded to a runoff, said, “I’ve always wanted President Trump’s endorsement. I called him to get his endorsement here,” signalling that the president’s support could become an even more contested prize should the runoff go forward as expected.
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Whichever candidate ultimately emerges from the Republican runoff will face Democrat Annie Andrews and Libertarian Kasie Whitener in November’s general election. With Lindsey Graham’s death last month having triggered the compressed special election timeline, both parties are expected to closely monitor the coming fortnight as the Republican field narrows to two finalists ahead of the scheduled 25 August runoff vote.
