🕒 Created · Updated

Darline Graham Nordone wins Republican Senate runoff in South Carolina with strong backing from President Trump

Darline Graham Nordone won the Republican primary runoff to claim the South Carolina Senate seat, defeating Rep. Ralph Norman with 52.5% of the vote. The victory was largely attributed to the active support of President Trump, who personally lobbied for her candidacy and spent over $827,000 of his super PAC funds to support her. While Darline Graham Nordone lacked prior political experience and faced criticism for a foreign policy gaffe during the debates, she successfully leveraged the Graham family name and the president's influence to secure the nomination. Rep. Ralph Norman faced a significant hurdle in the runoff as he had previously endorsed Nikki Haley, a primary rival of President Trump. The administration announced that the win serves as a test of the president's clout in a deep-red state. Darline Graham Nordone is now set to face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the November general election. The win also highlights a regional divide in South Carolina, where coastal voters favored the Graham legacy of project-based spending, while upstate voters favored the fiscal restraint of Rep. Ralph Norman.

Sources