Sen. Darline Graham Nordone is relying on her endorsement from President Donald Trump in the fight of her short political life against Rep. Ralph Norman.
Few had even heard of Sen. Nordone, who has stylized herself as Sen. Graham despite going by Mrs. Nordone for two decades, 45 days ago when her brother, Lindsey Graham, passed away.
But an endorsement from Trump, who called for South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to appoint her to her brother’s seat as a “fitting tribute” to his late friend, installed the political neophyte into the most exclusive political club in the nation through the remainder of her brother’s term.
Within days of her appointment, she revealed she would seek a full six-year term of her own.
Trump’s support did not keep ambitious Palmetto State politicos on the sidelines. Norman, Rep. Russell Fry, former governor and representative Mark Sanford, and others jumped into the race.
Norman received only about a quarter of the primary vote, but that was good enough to make the runoff.
But it was Nordone’s total, only about a third of votes cast despite her incumbency and Trump’s endorsement, that raised the most red flags.
Little public polling has informed on the state of the race. Trafalger, a respected polling firm which has close ties to Trump, published a poll Monday night which showed the race virtually tied. However, multiple reports have suggested internal polling from both camps has Norman ahead by double digits.
Trump has done what he can to boost Nordone, visiting the state for one of his trademark rallies and holding a tele-rally Monday night.
But Nordone has done little to help herself.
In the only televised debate of the runoff, she said she “is not that informed on national security.” And despite her claims to be further to the right than her brother on the critical issue of immigration, she has spurned opportunities to offer specifics, even telling reporters she has no thoughts on DACA. Additionally, she was not immediately able to comment on her birthright citizenship stance in response to a reporter question.
In the House, Norman’s vote was always there when Trump needed him, although he sometimes needed pulled back to the center to support compromises Trump’s legislative team had engineered.
But his 2024 endorsement of Nikki Haley, one made based more on longtime political friendship than on ideology, likely ensured Trump’s runoff support of Nordone.
With such a tight timeline and under such unusual circumstances, turnout is difficult to project. Either candidate could win, perhaps even decisively.
Runoffs in Oklahoma are taking place as well, with the gubernatorial GOP runoff between Trump-endorse Mike Mazzei and Attorney General Gentner Drummond drawing headlines.
But most eyes are on South Carolina, where polls close at 7 p.m. ET. Polls close in Oklahoma at 8 p.m. ET.
UPDATE 8:27 p.m. ET:
Right on cue, a big batch from Greenville County arrived, most of it early votes. The breakdown remains about 68 percent there for Norman, but the new votes cut Nordone’s lead statewide to under 6,000 votes, 51 percent to 49. This ain’t over yet.
Statewide, 62 percent of votes are in.
UPDATE 8:24 p.m. ET:
Only 12 percent of the vote in Greenville, Norman’s home county, is in. While Norman is up big there, he will need an overwhelming showing the rest of the way there to square the race. Not impossible but tough.
UPDATE 8:12 p.m. ET:
Nordone’s lead has remained steady for a spell at around 8 points. Over a third of the vote is now in.
Interestingly, Turning Point’s Tyler Bowyer points out that South Carolina’s open primary system allows Republican candidates to target Democrat voters who did not vote in their primary. In a special election like this, where Democrats had already nominated their candidate in the previous non-special, that essentially means any voter in the state could vote in today’s special GOP primary.
For a candidate like Graham who was aided by many big spenders, many who likely opposed the conservative Norman in the Senate, that could pay dividends.
UPDATE 7:59 p.m. ET:
It’s worth noting how heavily Nordone is relying on Trump’s endorsement. If she wins tonight, the victory will be his. Despite entering politics for the first time 45 days ago, she took great pains to withhold sharing her views or convictions on critical issues and spurned media, including multiple requests from Breitbart News. Norman joined Breitbart News Saturday on SiriusXM for an extended 20-minute interview during the runoff.
Nordone’s national security gaffe might explain her silence, and keeping mum on immigration may have been necessary for someone who, for all we know, spent no time contemplating the issue before 45 days ago.
Embarrassingly, Nordone’s staffer was caught telling a reporter granted a rare interview “nothing too difficult here.”
UPDATE 7:52 p.m. ET:
Norman is trying to run up the score upstate in his home region and is doing well, but Nordone is doing well in most of the rest of the county, extending beyond her low country base of Charleston.
Fry’s Dee Dee region in the northeast is going for Nordone. After finishing third in the primary, Fry endorsed Nordone after Trump’s request.
But the race has tightened. Nordone’s lead is 53 percent to Norman’s 47 with 22 percent of the vote in.
UPDATE 7:30 p.m. ET:
Only about 9 percent of the projected vote is in, but Nordone is up 57 percent to Norman’s 43. Most of what we are seeing reported right now are early votes cast before Election Day.
There’s a long way to go, but Nordone is likely pleased with the trend so far.
Bradley Jaye is Political Editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye or email him at [email protected].
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