Graham, Norman advance to GOP Senate runoff in South Carolina

U.S. Senator Darline Graham has the advantage of Trump's endorsement as she enters the two-week sprint to secure the Republican nomination for her late brother's seat.CHARLESTON, S.C. (CN) — U.S. Senator Darline Graham will compete against U.S. Representative Ralph Norman in a runoff election to succeed Lindsey Graham after neither candidate secured a plurality of the votes in the special Republican primary Tuesday.Darline Graham, the late senator’s sister, secured 33% of the vote, or about 110,000 of the nearly 330,000 ballots cast. President Donald Trump appointed Graham, a longtime advocate of the disabled in South Carolina, to finish her brother’s term and endorsed her campaign to serve a full six-year term.Norman secured 25% of the vote, or about 82,500 ballots. The Rock Hill real estate developer and hardline conservative has represented South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District since 2017. He joined the Senate race after finishing third in the GOP primary for governor this spring.The runners-up included U.S. Representative Russell Fry with about 20% of the vote, or about 65,700 ballots, and former Governor Mark Sanford with about 15% of the vote, or 50,000 ballots.Graham, 62, told reporters gathered in Columbia on Tuesday night she would meet with Republican voters during the next two weeks and work to earn their support.“This runoff will be a sprint and a team effort,” she said.Norman, 73, brushed off Trump’s endorsement decision in a speech Tuesday night.“He chose who he did — and that’s fine,” Norman said. “South Carolina is gonna decide the next senator.”Lindsey Graham handily defeated Greenville businessman Mark Lynch in the spring primary, but his sudden death from a heart issue July 12 kicked off a scramble for the seat. Ten candidates ultimately qualified for the ballot, but political analysts predicted the short campaign season would benefit the more well-known and well-funded candidates.Danielle Vinson, a political science professor at Furman University, said Wednesday that Graham and Norman could benefit from endorsements from the losing candidates, particularly Fry, who performed well in the Peedee region.She questioned whether Norman would become more pointed in his criticism of Graham. Norman will want to contrast his experience in Congress with his opponent’s greenness, but he can’t risk mudslinging, Vinson said.“South Carolina does not reward nasty campaigning,” she said.Dave Woodard, a political analyst and former campaign adviser for Lindsey Graham, said Norman’s campaign was gathering steam before Tuesday’s election, but he needed more support outside the Upstate. He expected both candidates would campaign heavily in the Midlands.“Politics is in Columbia, like it or not,” he said.Woodard said Norman’s political experience and pugnacious reputation were assets, but he agreed that the representative risked alienating voters if he was too aggressive toward Graham.The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician who ran against U.S. Representative Nancy Mace in the 2022 election.The runoff is scheduled for Aug. 25.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads