Sen. Darline Graham Nordone and Rep. Ralph Norman have advanced to a runoff in the contest to succeed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham as the Republican nominee in November’s general election, according to NBC News and Decision Desk.
Polls in the sprint to Tuesday’s primary showed Graham Nordone winning a plurality of votes, with Norman battling Rep. Russell Fry for second.
In election night results, Graham Nordone led with nearly 33 percent of votes cast, around nine percent ahead of Norman’s 24 percent.
President Donald Trump endorsed Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Sen. Graham, encouraging her to run for the full term after being appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC).
“Lindsey was one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, and his sister shares his deep love of our Country, and the State of South Carolina. 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.
A pair of super PACs spent over $1.2 million backing Graham Nordone: Palmetto Action and Security is Strength PAC. Spending by Norman allies was relatively modest by comparison, at under $50,000.
Already retiring at the end of the congressional term, Norman ran for governor earlier this year, finishing third in the June primary. He earned endorsements from Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, and fellow retiring Rep. Nancy Mace in his bid for Senate.
In his announcement, Norman said, “I’ve spent years fighting for the Palmetto State in the state house, in Congress, and now I want to get the SAVE America Act passed in the Senate!”
Alan Wilson, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, implored primary voters to unite.
“While Republicans may vary slightly in our approaches, we’re all in agreement that our conservative perspective of putting families first and protecting our freedoms is the better alternative than what’s being offered by the Left,” he said in the waning days of the campaign. He partnered with the South Carolina Republican Party, hosting events for the candidates across the state.
The winner of the August 25 runoff will face far-left Democrat Annie Andrews in November.
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