Three takeaways from Tuesday's South Carolina Republican Senate primary
PUBLISHED Aug 26, 2026, 5:09 AM ET
South Carolina Republicans nominated Darline Graham on Tuesday to run for her late brother’s U.S. Senate seat following her victory over Representative Ralph Norman in a primary runoff. President Donald Trump campaigned with Graham in Myrtle Beach and deployed his MAGA Inc. political action committee to spend over $827,000 supporting her campaign. While Norman won his home base of Greenville, Graham secured decisive margins across the rest of the state, fueled by Trump's explicit endorsement. Trump faced low national approval ratings amid economic and foreign policy pressures, yet the primary outcome demonstrated his enduring influence among Republican voters. Graham is expected to follow congressional tradition as a first-term lawmaker following her victory in the heavily Republican seat. The Republican Party faces a difficult battle to maintain its slim Senate majority in the upcoming November midterm elections.
By Michael Grant | JQJO News
- Articles Published:
- 31
- Right Leaning:
- 7
- Left Leaning:
- 6
- Neutral:
- 18
- Distribution:
- Left 19%, Center 58%, Right 23%
Left: Highlighted Trump's heavy intervention and questioned conservative candidate policy depth. Center: Emphasized election results and primary vote tallies objectively. Right: Celebrated Trump's political influence and base voter mobilization success.
Reuters published primary election results on August 26, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/south-carolina-republicans-nominate-darline-graham-senate-primary-runoff-2025-08-26/
Coverage of Story:
From Left
Darline Graham defeats Ralph Norman in high-stakes South Carolina primary
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Three takeaways from Tuesday's South Carolina Republican Senate primary
Reuters Reuters Associated Press Politico The Hill ABC News CBS News USA Today Bloomberg Axios The Post and Courier Greenville News The State WCSC Live 5 News WMBF News WIS TV Associated Press State wire Reuters WireFrom Right
Trump-backed Darline Graham claims victory in South Carolina Senate runoff
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