Doubts grow over Trump-backed Graham in South Carolina runoff

Developed over time first seen 2 months ago

Daily Mail · 2 months ago

Darline Graham's bid to permanently succeed her late brother, Lindsey Graham, in the US Senate ended with a South Carolina runoff against Congressman Ralph Norman that many Republicans privately doubted she could win. She had been appointed to the seat temporarily after her brother's sudden death, but her limited political experience became a central issue, most notably when she admitted during a debate that she was "not that informed" on national security. Critics, including Fox News host Lawrence Jones and an unnamed Republican operative, argued she had inherited her brother's unpopularity without his political goodwill, in a campaign compressed into just a few weeks.

Pre-election indicators pointed to a tight or Norman-leaning race: former state representative Adam Morgan said early voting and straw polls favoured Norman heavily, while a Trafalgar Group poll on the eve of the vote showed the candidates deadlocked at 48 percent each, within a 2.9-point margin of error. Despite the doubts, President Donald Trump campaigned hard for Graham, holding rallies in Myrtle Beach and urging supporters to treat the vote as though he himself were on the ballot, and senior Senator Tim Scott endorsed her, saying he had waited 30 days to be sure she was ready before declaring himself "very confident" of her victory.

Darline Graham faced Ralph Norman in tight SC Senate runoff
Critics cited her inexperience and national security gaffe
Trump and Senator Tim Scott campaigned hard for her win

New here? Start with this

South Carolina is holding a run-off election on Tuesday to decide who fills the state's US Senate seat left vacant after the death of long-serving Senator Lindsey Graham. His sister, Darline Graham, was given the seat on a temporary basis and is now trying to win it outright, facing Republican Congressman Ralph Norman. The contest matters because it will determine who represents South Carolina in the Senate, and because it has become a test of how far President Trump's endorsement can carry a candidate he has personally backed.

Darline Graham has faced questions about her readiness for the role, including a debate moment in which she admitted she was "not that informed" on national security matters, an area her brother was known for. Norman, a sitting congressman, is seen by some Republicans as the stronger and more experienced alternative. Senator Tim Scott, another senior South Carolina Republican, has publicly backed Graham and expressed confidence in her chances.

Polling has shown the race extremely close, with both candidates roughly level, making the outcome hard to predict. Trump has campaigned actively for Graham, holding rallies to urge his supporters to turn out, which places his political influence and judgement under scrutiny alongside the result itself.

Both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

Supporters argue that Graham deserves the chance to prove herself, noting that Senator Tim Scott deliberately waited a month before endorsing her precisely so he could be confident she was ready, and that President Trump's vigorous campaigning reflects trust in her judgement and loyalty to the values her brother represented. They see continuity as valuable at a moment of transition, and point to polling showing the race essentially tied as evidence that doubts about her prospects may be overstated or driven by rivals with their own interests in talking up Norman's chances. On this view, a single debate stumble on national security does not disqualify a candidate who can grow into the role with experienced colleagues around her.

The case against

Sceptics argue that a Senate seat demands demonstrated competence before it is granted, not after, and that Graham's own admission of being 'not that informed' on national security raises legitimate concerns about readiness for a role with such consequential responsibilities. They note that inheriting a family name and a temporary appointment is not the same as earning voters' trust through a track record, and that a Republican operative's warning about her brother's unpopularity being passed on without his political skill reflects a genuine worry that dynastic succession can substitute name recognition for merit. For these critics, Ralph Norman's stronger showing in early voting and straw polls reflects a reasonable preference among Republicans for a candidate with a proven legislative record over an untested appointee.

Full account

Darline Graham has won South Carolina's Republican Senate runoff, overcoming a wave of scepticism from within her own party to see off Congressman Ralph Norman in the contest to permanently fill the seat left vacant by the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham. Graham, who had been serving in the seat on a temporary basis following her brother's sudden death, was projected the winner by broadcasters on Tuesday evening, having leaned heavily on the personal backing of President Donald Trump to carry her over the line against a rival who cast himself as the more seasoned conservative choice.

In the days before the vote, Graham's prospects looked shakier than her campaign would have liked. A halting performance in the runoff debate saw her concede she was "not that informed" on national security, an admission that jarred given the issue's centrality to her late brother's Senate career and quickly became a rallying point for Norman's campaign. He argued South Carolina needed a senator "who understands foreign policy," and reports suggest Graham also drew scrutiny for a shaky claim about the scale of financial hardship among the state's residents. Commentary from a Fox News host branding her an "empty vessel" on matters of substance added to the sense of a candidate struggling to establish her credentials, while a Republican operative was quoted warning she was contesting the race as a relative unknown, carrying her brother's political baggage without the benefit of his standing. On-the-ground observers pointed to early-voting patterns and informal straw polls that appeared to favour Norman, and a survey published on the eve of polling had the two candidates essentially tied.

Trump's intervention proved decisive to the eventual outcome. Having reportedly encouraged Graham to enter the race in the first place, he campaigned for her in person in Myrtle Beach and held telephone rallies in the campaign's closing stretch, at one point urging supporters to treat the contest as though his own name were on the ballot. A Trump-aligned political action committee also put significant financial weight behind her candidacy. She additionally secured the endorsement of South Carolina's senior senator, Tim Scott, who said he had taken time before committing his support in order to be confident in his choice, telling audiences he regarded her as the right person to serve alongside him in Washington.

In the end, Graham's advantage proved strongest in Horry County, home to Myrtle Beach, where Trump had rallied on her behalf, helping offset doubts raised elsewhere in the state. Her victory represents both a personal vindication after a bruising final fortnight of campaigning and a fresh demonstration of the pull Trump continues to exert over Republican primary contests, even for candidates whose readiness for office had been openly questioned by figures within their own party.

Where outlets differ

Source 1 is written before the result was known, framing the piece around doubts, tied polling and warnings from Republican operatives and commentators that Graham could lose; Source 2 is written after the result, confirming her victory and explaining how she achieved it.

Source 1 includes detail not in Source 2, such as the Fox News host's 'empty vessel' remark, the NOTUS operative quote, and former state representative Adam Morgan's comments on early-voting and straw-poll trends favouring Norman.

Source 2 includes detail not in Source 1, such as the scale of MAGA Inc's spending (over $827,000), Trump's direct quotes about personally urging Graham to run, the Horry County result explaining her margin of victory, and Graham's additional debate misstep about the number of South Carolinians living paycheck to paycheck.

The two sources present Tim Scott's endorsement differently: Source 1 cites his live remarks on NBC's Meet the Press about waiting 30 days before backing her, while Source 2 cites a written X post making a similar point.

More coverage

Elections Government Politics World

Read the full article at the source →

Originally published by Daily Mail as “Trump’s power over the GOP is tested as Republicans privately doubt his pick Darline Graham can win heading into tonight’s runoff”.