Republican South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham advanced to an August 25 run off election to replace her late brother on the GOP ticket.
Graham, who was appointed to serve out the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s term, led Republican South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman by eight percentage points at the time of this writing, according to The Associated Press. Graham’s candidacy caught some South Carolina Republicans off guard, while candidates criticized her late brother’s hawkish foreign policy record.
South Carolina Freedom Conference Chairman Jordan Pace told the Daily Caller that some Republicans were frustrated with Graham’s decision to run for a full term, with some also being frustrated with her late brother’s policies and governing style.
“Every time Lindsey would win, we just didn’t get it. It’s all about his network, the money, and who supports him, including AIPAC and the military-industrial complex,” Republican South Carolina state Rep. Jay Kilmartin told the Caller.
A pool of ten candidates, including Norman, Graham, South Carolina Rep. Russel Fry and former Republican South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford challenged one another for the nomination. Norman recently sought the nomination for governor and placed third in the primary.
Graham announced she would run for a full six years on July 20, weeks after Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to finish her late brother’s term. President Donald Trump endorsed Graham ahead of the runoff on Aug. 4.
“During her visit, I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “She accepted, as there is nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey. Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Trump said he would consider backing Fry if Graham ultimately decided not to run, according to NOTUS. Fry positioned himself as a conservative MAGA and America First candidate, focusing on cost-of-living concerns.
Businessman Mark Lynch reentered the race after he lost to Lindsey Graham in the June 9 primary. In both races, Lynch ran as an America First candidate pushing back against the late senator’s hawkish foreign policy record.
Graham largely aligned herself with Trump on the campaign trail, even breaking with her late brother by supporting an end to the filibuster.
“This is where I differ from my brother, getting rid of the filibuster to get this done, because eventually the Democrats are gonna get rid of it anyway,” Graham said.
Graham broke with Senate Majority Leader John Thune by calling to cancel August recess to pass the Safeguard America Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act. Trump, Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee and other senators called on Thune to cancel recess, though Thune argued staying in session would not get the SAVE America Act passed.
Graham was among the eleven Republican senators who declared in a statement to the Congressional Record that she would have objected to a summer recess if a roll call vote were held Friday. A source familiar told the Daily Caller News Foundation Monday that Republican senators fighting to cancel recess did not receive enough support to get a sufficient second, which is the level of support needed to order a roll call vote.
On Aug. 3, Graham, Fry, Norman, Sanford and Lynch faced off on a debate stage. Candidates said they would focus more on domestic issues compared to Lindsey Graham.
“Foreign policy is important,” Fry said. “It is an important issue as the United States leads the world in a lot of ways. But for me, I think it’s really important to focus back home, to focus on your family.”
Sanford and Norman highlighted the importance of fiscal responsibility, while Lynch criticized the national debt growing to $39 trillion and Lindsey Graham’s foreign policy record. None of the candidates backed Thune as majority leader.
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