Overview
- Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to the late Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat and she led a crowded Aug. 11 Republican primary but did not win a majority, pushing the contest to an Aug. 25 runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman.
- President Trump has endorsed Graham and Rep. Russell Fry, who finished third on Aug. 11, has since endorsed her, consolidating pro‑Trump establishment support for her candidacy.
- In a Newsmax debate Tuesday night, Graham said she was “not that informed on national security,” an answer that went viral and drew criticism from figures including Nikki Haley and other Republican commentators.
- Campaign operatives and voters view the debate gaffe as intensifying questions about her vetting and experience for a six‑year Senate term just as early voting begins for the runoff.
- Because South Carolina is solidly Republican, the Aug. 25 GOP runoff is likely to decide who holds the seat in November, and outside groups, PACs and party committees are expected to play an outsized role during the compressed calendar.