Graham and Norman Face Off in South Carolina GOP Senate Runoff

South Carolina Republicans head back to the polls Tuesday for a special primary runoff to decide who will carry the party's banner in the race to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the sudden death of Lindsey Graham last month.

The contest pits Darline Graham, the late senator's sister and current interim appointee, against U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman. The two emerged as the top vote-getters in an August 11 primary, setting up a two-week runoff campaign that has been marked by sharp exchanges.

Graham, a political newcomer, has worked to introduce herself to voters who long supported her brother in this heavily Republican state. Norman, who has spent nearly two decades in state and federal office, has leaned on his legislative record and experience. He also recently finished third in the state's gubernatorial primary.

Former President Donald Trump has been a central figure in the race. A longtime ally of Lindsey Graham, Trump endorsed Darline Graham before she formally entered the contest, campaigned for her in Myrtle Beach on Friday, and held a tele-rally on the eve of the runoff. On Monday, the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. injected nearly $830,000 into her campaign for voter outreach.

Graham has aligned herself closely with Trump's agenda, frequently citing her co-sponsorship of a voting bill that is a priority for the former president. One voter at an early voting site near Trump's rally said the former president's endorsement was enough to secure his vote.

Norman, meanwhile, has touted his willingness to take unpopular stances, including challenging Trump during the 2024 presidential primary when he backed Nikki Haley. He has also criticized Graham's campaign as overly managed and beholden to Washington special interests. He has invested more than $1 million of his own money into the race in its final week.

The two candidates met for a single debate, where Graham stumbled on a foreign policy question about Taiwan and the South China Sea, admitting she was "not that informed on national security." Norman called Taiwan "a definite ally" and suggested her answer showed a lack of qualifications.

Whoever wins the runoff will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a Charleston physician who won her primary outright in June. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades.