South Carolina Republicans voted Tuesday in a primary runoff to select a nominee for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Lindsey Graham. The contest featured Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed as an interim replacement for her late brother, and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman. The runoff followed an August 11 primary where both candidates emerged as the top finishers in the Republican field.
The vacancy occurred following the death of Lindsey Graham on July 11. Darline Graham, a political newcomer, aligned her campaign with President Donald Trump, who endorsed her before she formally entered the race. Rep. Ralph Norman, a former real estate developer with nearly 20 years of political experience, entered the contest shortly after finishing third in the Republican gubernatorial primary.
Campaign finance reports released Monday showed the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. spent approximately $827,000 on voter phone calls and text messages to support Darline Graham. This expenditure is the second time the group has spent on a race this year, following an $18,000 spend in March for a Georgia special election. Norman personally funded a portion of his own campaign, contributing more than $1 million during the final week of the race.
During the campaign's only debate, the candidates differed on foreign policy. When asked about U.S. national security interests in Taiwan and the South China Sea, Graham stated she was "not that informed on national security" and preferred to focus on domestic economic issues. Norman described Taiwan as a "definite ally" and stated that Graham’s response raised questions about her readiness for the office. Norman also criticized Graham for being reliant on "Washington elite" interests, while Graham highlighted her co-sponsorship of voting legislation favored by the president.
The scale of spending in this two-week runoff is significant for a special primary, with over $1.8 million in combined last-minute funding reported from Norman's personal contribution and the MAGA Inc. expenditure. This amounts to a substantial investment to influence a single state's primary electorate over a very short period. Voters in South Carolina will notice the immediate impact through the volume of campaign outreach, including the $827,000 worth of text messages and calls funded by Trump's super PAC, which holds a $400 million war chest.
The result also serves as a measure of President Trump’s influence within the Republican party following recent primary losses for his endorsed candidates in Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa. A win for Graham would secure a vote for Trump’s legislative agenda, including tax cuts. If Norman wins, it would demonstrate the resilience of his independent conservative platform despite his earlier loss in the governor's race. Following Tuesday's vote, the focus shifts to the general election, where Lindsey Graham previously won by 10 percentage points in 2020.