Darline Graham’s campaign was closely tied to Trump, who backed her appointment to her brother’s Senate seat and later urged her to seek a full term.
Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman by a narrow margin despite the Trump-backed campaign facing a competitive runoff.
Graham will now enter the November special election as the Republican nominee and is favoured to retain the seat for the GOP.
Darline Graham, the sister of the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, has won the Republican primary runoff for South Carolina’s special Senate election, securing a major victory for President Donald Trump.
CNN’s Decision Desk projected Graham as the winner on Tuesday, August 25, after a closely fought contest against Republican Representative Ralph Norman.
The result strengthens Trump’s influence among South Carolina Republican voters. Graham is now favoured to win a full six-year Senate term in November in the heavily Republican state.
A Candidate Backed By Trump
Graham’s political rise has been closely tied to the president.
After Lindsey Graham died in July, Trump urged South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster to appoint Darline Graham to complete the remaining months of her brother’s Senate term. Trump subsequently encouraged her to seek a full term.
When the Republican runoff tightened, Trump travelled to Myrtle Beach to campaign for Graham and rally his supporters behind her. His political organisation, MAGA Inc., also spent more than $827,000 supporting her campaign.
The victory comes at an important moment for Trump, who has faced a series of setbacks in Republican primaries this month. Six candidates endorsed by the president had lost their respective GOP contests since August 19.
Graham’s win therefore gives Trump a much-needed demonstration of his continued ability to mobilise Republican voters.
‘South Carolina Is Truly Trump Country’
Addressing supporters at her victory party, Graham embraced the president's influence over her campaign.
“South Carolina is truly Trump country,” she said after her victory.
Her political identity has differed significantly from that of her brother. Lindsey Graham was a prominent foreign policy hawk who had close ties with the late Senator John McCain and, at times, maintained positions that differed from Trump.
Darline Graham, by contrast, made her support for Trump central to her campaign.
In a post on X after the results, Graham thanked Trump and her supporters for helping secure the nomination.
“South Carolina, I am deeply honored and humbled to accept your nomination as the Republican candidate for the United States Senate,” she wrote.
She thanked her family, Trump, her campaign team and supporters across the state, saying the campaign would now turn its attention to November.
“Together, we will fight for our values, defend South Carolina, and keep America strong. Onward to victory,” Graham said.
Graham will now face the Democratic nominee in the November special election.
South Carolina is considered a deeply Republican state, making Graham the strong favourite to retain the Senate seat for the GOP.
Her victory also reinforces Trump's standing in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide elections for years.
