Topline
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., advanced to the runoff in the special Republican primary for the Senate seat on Tuesday night, as she attempts to secure a full term as senator after being appointed to serve the remainder of her brother Lindsey Graham’s term following his sudden and unexpected death last month.
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., speaks to reporters after advancing to a special GOP Senate primary runoff to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Key Facts
The Associated Press partly called the race at 8:15 pm ET, noting that Graham was advancing to the runoffs and later called that she will be joined in the runoffs by Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.
With 99% of the votes counted, Graham topped the count with 32.7% of the votes, while Norman received 24.6%.
The runoff is scheduled to take place on August 25.’
Graham, who is running in a major political race for the first time, thanked President Donald Trump for his “steadfast support and his complete and total endorsement,” in a speech after the race was called.
Despite being a political newcomer, Graham touted the passage of the Russia sanctions bill in the Senate and said that some politicians “never get a major piece of their legislation passed, so I’ve already accomplished more in a few weeks.”
What To Watch For
During her address on Tuesday night, Graham appeared to take a shot at her rival Norman as she outlined her plan for the next two weeks and said: “I will spend the next two weeks of this runoff meeting with voters and, unlike some politicians, listening to their concerns.” When a reporter asked her if she hoped Trump would campaign for her, Graham said: “I’m hopeful that President Trump will come down, but we’ll see.”
Tangent
Norman, who is a senior member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, said he was excited to take another two weeks and get his message out all over the state. He also said he hopes to take on Graham in as many debates as possible ahead of the runoff election later this month. When Graham was asked about taking on Norman in a debate, she said: “I’ll be willing to debate him.”
further reading
Darline Graham’s Political Views Largely Unknown As She Launches Senate Campaign (Forbes)