US President Donald Trump has stepped into the final days of South Carolina’s Republican Senate runoff to support Sen. Darline Graham, urging voters to send her back to the US Senate for a full term.
Trump appeared with Graham at a rally in Myrtle Beach on Friday, four days before the August 25 runoff against US Representative Ralph Norman, reported The Associated Press.
Graham is serving the remainder of the Senate term that belonged to her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to the seat after Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly on July 11. She is now seeking a full term of her own.
Trump has backed her campaign from the start. At the Myrtle Beach rally, he urged supporters to vote for Graham and asked them to act as if he himself were on the ballot.
“You have to get out and vote,” Trump said. “And we need every South Carolina patriot to go to the polls and vote for Darline Graham.” He later told supporters to “pretend” that he was on the ballot, reported AP.
The runoff will decide the Republican nominee for the Senate seat. The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election.
Why is Trump putting so much weight behind Graham?
The South Carolina contest has become a test of Trump’s influence among Republican voters. Graham finished first in the August 11 Republican special primary, which featured 10 candidates, but she did not receive enough votes to avoid a runoff. Norman finished second.
Graham moved forward as the top vote-getter, while Norman secured the other runoff spot, reported AP.
Graham entered the race with Trump’s endorsement and the advantage of her family name. She is Lindsey Graham’s sister and was appointed to his seat after his death.
Norman, however, has a much longer record in elected office. He has represented South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District since 2017 and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, according to AP’s reporting on the race.
Norman has questioned Trump’s decision to support Graham instead of him. In an August 18 interview with AP, he called the endorsement a “head scratcher”.
Norman said that his experience in Congress and business, along with his voting record on Trump’s priorities, made him the stronger candidate, as reported by AP. He also said he remained supportive of Trump despite having backed former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
Trump’s decision to campaign personally for Graham adds another layer to the race. The president’s appearance was intended to bolster her campaign after criticism of her performance in a recent debate, reported Reuters on August 21.
Trump also defended Graham after the debate. He described her response on national security as honest and said she had competent advisers, reported AP.
What is at stake for Republican Party?
South Carolina is a Republican-leaning state, and the winner of the GOP runoff will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. AP reported that no Democrat has won a US Senate seat in South Carolina in decades.
That makes the Republican primary the central contest for the Senate seat.
For Trump, the result could also provide a measure of how much influence his endorsement carries in a Republican primary. Reuters reported that both Graham and Norman present themselves as supporters of Trump’s agenda, while the contest has also exposed differences within the state’s Republican Party.
Graham’s candidacy has faced questions about her political experience. She had not previously won elected office before being appointed to the Senate. Norman has used his congressional record as a contrast.
That issue became sharper after the August 18 debate. A moderator asked Graham whether Taiwan and the South China Sea were US national security issues. Graham responded, “I’m not that informed on national security.” She then said she supported the military and referred to her family’s military background, reported AP.
“My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years so I will do everything I can to support the military,” Graham said. “My dad was in the Army. I’m not a polished politician up here. National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military,” as reported by AP on August 19.
Norman has sought to present himself as a conservative legislator with a record that voters can assess. In his AP interview, he said one of his priorities would be working to pass the SAVE Act. He also discussed issues such as the national debt, Iran and energy prices.
Trump, meanwhile, has framed Graham’s candidacy around his own political agenda and the legacy of her brother. At the August 21 rally, he urged voters to turn out even though his name will not appear on the ballot. AP reported that Trump is serving his second and final presidential term.
The runoff therefore presents two choices for South Carolina Republicans. Graham offers the backing of the president and the Graham family name. Norman offers a longer record in elected office and a direct record of conservative legislation.
The Republican voters will decide between them on August 25. The winner will become the GOP nominee and face Democrat Annie Andrews in November.
For Trump, the result will provide a direct test of his ability to move Republican primary voters behind his preferred candidate. For the GOP, the immediate goal is to retain the Senate seat in November.