South Carolina Republicans head to the polls – again – on Tuesday in a runoff election to choose a nominee to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on the general election ballot.
Read more Postal Service Mail-In Ballot Rules: What Voters Need to Know Ahead of the 2026 Election
Before his unexpected death on July 11, Graham won the June 9 Republican primary. He was running for a fourth term in the seat he first won in 2002. His death left a vacancy not only in the Senate but in state politics. The election to replace him will mark the fourth time South Carolina Republicans will cast ballots this summer to finalize their party’s pick to run for the six-year term.
The finalists for the Republican nomination are Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to serve the remainder of her brother’s term, and Rep. Ralph Norman, a five-term House member and former 2026 gubernatorial candidate.
The winner of the runoff will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician from Charleston.
Here is what to know about the candidates.
Sen. Darline Graham
Graham, 62, was born in Central, South Carolina and is a lifelong resident of the state.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston in 1989 and a master’s degree from South Carolina State University in 2009. Previously, she worked as a commissioner with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind and for the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
Her career experience did not extend to politics until early this summer. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham to fill her late brother’s Senate seat on July 13. Initially appointed only to finish the term, she decided to campaign for the full term.
Her campaign drew fast support from voters and key Republicans who backed her brother, including Sen. Tim Scott and President Donald Trump. The president held a campaign rally with her Friday in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Trump called Graham a “spectacular person” and a “true American patriot” in a social media post on Aug. 10.
“Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina,” Trump said.
Graham placed first in the Aug. 11 special primary with 33% support but fell short of the majority needed to win the nomination outright. Her challenger, Norman, earned 25%, and Rep. Russell Fry placed third with 20%. After losing, Fry endorsed Graham.
Read more Hire Full-Service Movers Across The USA: A Smarter Way to Plan Your Relocation
However, her campaign has not been without complications. When asked during an Aug. 18 televised debate about national security priorities in Asia, Graham stumbled badly in her answer.
“I’m just going to be honest here,” she said. “I am not that informed on national security.”
Foreign policy was one of her brother’s signature issues, and critics have used the exchange to highlight her lack of political experience, calling her unqualified.
Trump, however, defended her comments.
“All she was doing was being honest. She’s very smart and she was being honest,” Trump said. “She’s into the price of groceries, the price of food, the price of beef. It hasn’t been her thing, but she’s surrounded by very good people.”
Rep. Ralph Norman
Norman, 73, was born in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and is a longtime politician and former real estate developer. He has represented the state’s 5th District since 2017 and served as a South Carolina state representative from 2005-07 and from 2009-17.
Norman initially campaigned for the GOP gubernatorial nomination this cycle, finishing third in a seven-candidate field with 17.1% of the vote.
Norman has built a reputation as a Trump ally, endorsing former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primaries. This year, Trump backed Graham instead.
After Graham’s debate gaffe last week, additional debates between the two candidates were put off.
“We were supposed to have a debate, several debates,” Norman laughed as he told a crowd at a town hall in Anderson, South Carolina. “After Tuesday night, there will be no more debates. She was supposed to do one Wednesday, and it just didn’t happen.”
Read more Star Van Lines Movers: Trusted Colorado Moving Company for Local & Long-Distance Moves
