BREAKING: Darline Graham WINS South Carolina GOP Senate Primary Runoff

Decision Desk HQ projects Darline Graham wins the SC US Senate Republican Runoff#DecisionMade: 8:38 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/7N8zAWwRKy

— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) August 26, 2026

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All counties are now reporting some votes in South Carolina, showing a clear geographical divide between support for projected winner Darline Graham and Ralph Norman. pic.twitter.com/Y03KNcDQn8

— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) August 26, 2026

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BREAKING: Darline Graham has WON the South Carolina US Senate runoff, per DDHQ

Trump-endorsed Graham defeated Ralph Norman

She’ll now face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. pic.twitter.com/km1fgN7EqN

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 26, 2026

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Trump went all in for Graham, who is seeking a full six-year term after she was appointed to the seat by Gov. Henry McMaster. The president held an in-person rally for her Friday in Myrtle Beach and a tele-rally on Monday evening, and his allied super PAC made a late $830,000 push to boost her.

During the Friday rally, Trump recounted how he asked her to run “because everyone loves her, everyone respects her.” He also said he’s supporting her to “honor Lindsey,” who had been one of his closest allies in Washington.

“She only knows how to put America first,” Trump told the crowd. “You vote for her, you’re going to be very proud of that vote.”

Graham, 62, will now face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in the November general election, and is the heavy favorite in the deep-red state where her brother served in the Senate and House for more than 30 years.

To beat Norman, who’s spent nearly a decade in Congress, Graham had to overcome GOP attacks of nepotism and inexperience. She had never held or run for elected office before, though she did lead a 130-person state agency that helped blind people. In the initial primary earlier this month, Graham finished first with 33% of the vote, short of the 50% needed to avoid a runoff.

And the final week of the truncated, two-week runoff campaign was dominated by Graham’s blunder at a debate with Norman where she replied that she was “not that informed on national security” when asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea were important national security priorities.

“National security is not my thing,” she said.

It was a particularly notable moment given that her senator brother had served more than three decades in the Air Force and was one of the leading voices on national security on Capitol Hill.

Darline Graham said that she would be more focused as a senator on domestic policy issues, such as affordability.

“Her brother was very much about the world … That’s good, that’s fine. But she’s more about affordability,” Trump said about the Graham siblings, who have both talked about their humble beginnings being raised in a single room next to their family’s bar and pool hall.

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JUST NOW: South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham fires back

"The critics say I shouldn't run because I'm not a politician. You know what I say? Guilty as charged! By the way, President Trump had never served in an elected office before."

"And I think he's done a damn… pic.twitter.com/yvncYvPxdG

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 21, 2026

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JUST IN: Darline Graham has defeated Ralph Norman in South Carolina Senate Runoff election.

Graham now faces Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election. pic.twitter.com/xP0BOnZ1ot

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 26, 2026

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