Election Tuesday Tests Trump Influence

South Carolina’s Republican Senate primary is headed for a runoff after Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman emerged from Tuesday’s crowded field, according to the Associated Press. Neither candidate secured the majority needed to win the GOP nomination outright, setting up an Aug. 25 showdown that could effectively decide who takes the Senate seat previously held by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The stakes are especially high because the eventual Republican nominee will enter the November general election as a heavy favorite in one of the country’s most reliably Republican states. Democrat Annie Andrews is expected to face a steep uphill battle, as Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate race in South Carolina since 1998.

Darline Graham, 62, entered the race under unusual circumstances. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to temporarily fill the Senate seat after her brother’s death, and she launched her campaign just days later. Her campaign received a major boost when President Donald Trump publicly encouraged her to run, and she announced her candidacy during an appearance with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Graham has presented herself as a political newcomer who can continue her brother’s constituent-focused approach while remaining firmly aligned with Trump’s agenda. She had never previously held elected office before being appointed to the Senate seat.

Norman, 73, offers Republican voters a very different choice. The longtime congressman and vice chair of the House Freedom Caucus has built his campaign around his conservative record, arguing that voters should focus on what candidates have actually done rather than their family names or political connections.

The runoff became necessary after Rep. Russell Fry finished just behind Norman in a close race for the second spot. Norman ultimately secured his place in the head-to-head contest with Graham.

His path to the Senate nomination has not been without complications. Norman finished third in the Republican primary for governor in June, behind Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson. He also endorsed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley during the 2024 election and has acknowledged that he informed Trump of the decision before making the endorsement public.

That history could become an important factor as the runoff approaches. Norman has suggested that his decision to support Haley may have contributed to Trump withholding his endorsement in his recent political campaigns.

Now, the Aug. 25 runoff could provide one of the clearest tests yet of how much influence Trump continues to have over Republican voters. Both candidates support much of the president’s agenda, but the race has created a sharper choice between a Trump-backed candidate carrying one of South Carolina’s most recognizable political names and a veteran conservative arguing that voters should put experience and voting records first.

With the Republican nominee almost certain to become South Carolina’s next senator, the real battle is now taking place inside the GOP.