Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) defeated Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) in Tuesday’s South Carolina runoff, securing the Republican nomination for the state’s Senate seat — which had been occupied by her brother, late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), until earlier this summer.
With some 91% of the votes counted, per the AP, Graham had 52% to Norman’s 48%.
Graham will run in the general election against Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician.
Graham was tapped for the role by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) after her longtime senator brother passed away unexpectedly last month. Shortly after she started her temporary role — to finish her brother’s current term — Graham announced she was running to keep the seat for the next six years.
Graham got President Donald Trump’s endorsement for her campaign. Trump had also recommended McMaster appoint the late senator’s sister to serve the remainder of his term.
Graham was able to defeat the five-term congressman despite a recent hiccup on the debate stage that highlighted her lack of experience as an elected official.
“I’m just going to be honest here,” Graham said in response to a question about the importance of Taiwan to U.S. interests during a debate against Norman. “I’m not that informed on national security so — But I do support the military.”
Norman tried to take advantage of that debate moment, calling out Graham for her lack of understanding in foreign policy and seeking to align himself with the MAGA movement’s resistance to “forever wars.”
“South Carolina deserves a Senator who UNDERSTANDS Foreign Policy,” Norman said on social media. “I’m a PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH supporter! No more forever wars!”
This is the second big loss Norman took this year.
Before his bid for the Senate, Norman ran to be the Palmetto State’s governor. He lost that bid, finishing third in the gubernatorial primary over the summer.
Norman has represented South Carolina’s 5th congressional district since 2017. Norman started out on Capitol Hill after winning a special election to replace former Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), who vacated his House seat after Trump appointed him to be the director of the Office of Management and Budget during his first term.
A member of the House Freedom Caucus, Norman holds a strict anti-abortion and a pro-Second Amendment voting record. He opposes federal gun control and universal background check legislation. Norman also consistently votes against debt ceiling increases and large spending bills.
Most notably, as TPM reported, he urged White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to invoke the “Marshall Law!!” just days before Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021.
Despite his publicly MAGA loyalist persona, Norman and Trump have had a tumultuous relationship.
Norman initially endorsed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley over Trump in the 2024 presidential primary. And it is no secret that Trump holds grudges against those in the Republican Party who at one point or another questioned his dominance.
Norman has also been vocal about his opposition to “endless wars” amid Trump’s war on Iran.
