{"id":2649618,"date":"2026-08-25T21:53:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T01:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/graham-nordone-wins-south-carolina-senate-runoff\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T22:34:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T02:34:49","slug":"graham-nordone-wins-south-carolina-senate-runoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/graham-nordone-wins-south-carolina-senate-runoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Graham Nordone wins South Carolina Senate runoff"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgraham-nordone-wins-south-carolina-senate-runoff%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2649618&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Darline Graham Nordone, a Republican from South Carolina, won the state&#8217;s senate primary runoff, advancing toward a full term in the seat previously held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham.With most votes counted, she secured 52.3% against Ralph Norman\u2019s 47.7%. Her rapid rise followed her appointment by Governor Henry McMaster after her brother\u2019s sudden death in July, with then-President Donald Trump endorsing her. The campaign was notable for its emphasis on her outsider status, her family\u2019s political legacy, and her alignment with Trump\u2019s influence. Despite some criticism for her limited political experience,she garnered endorsements from key figures like Sen. Tim Scott. She will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November election, in a state where Democrats rarely win Senate seats.The race was marked by intense competition between established experience and outsider appeal, with Norman highlighting his congressional record and her admission of limited knowledge on national security issues. Trump\u2019s active support for Graham Nordone underscored the contest\u2019s meaning within Republican politics.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/darline-graham-nordone\/\">Darline Graham Nordone<\/a> (R-SC) won <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-carolina\/\">South Carolina<\/a>\u2019s Republican Senate special primary runoff Tuesday, defeating Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ralph-norman\/\">Ralph Norman<\/a> (R-SC) and moving one step closer to securing a full term in the seat previously held by her late brother, Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\">Lindsey Graham<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With 89% of the vote counted, Graham Nordone had 52.3% of the vote compared with Norman\u2019s 47.7%, according to the <em>Associated Press<\/em>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4698197\/graham-nordone-norman-south-carolina-runoff\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Darline Graham Nordone defeats Ralph Norman in South Carolina Senate GOP runoff<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4700367\/what-to-know-rnc-republican-midterm-convention\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>What to know as Trump and Vance headline first-ever GOP midterm convention<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4700364\/judge-usps-violated-mail-ballot-order-wont-block-rule-publication\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Judge says USPS violated mail-ballot order but won\u2019t block rule publication<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham Nordone\u2019s victory caps an unusual and abbreviated campaign that began after<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4650854\/obituary-lindsey-graham-1955-2026\/\"> Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly in July<\/a>, leaving Republicans scrambling to replace the longtime senator both in Washington and on the November ballot.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) appointed Graham Nordone to temporarily fill her brother\u2019s seat just days after his death. President Donald Trump then encouraged her to seek a full six-year term and quickly endorsed her bid.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham Nordone, who had never previously held elected office, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4681391\/south-carolina-senate-special-primary-results\/\">emerged from a crowded 10-candidate Republican primary earlier this month<\/a> as the top vote-getter. She received roughly 33% of the vote, while Norman finished second with about 25%, sending the two Republicans to a runoff after neither received the majority required to win outright.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race quickly became another test of Trump\u2019s influence over Republican primary voters. Norman, a five-term congressman who recently finished third in the GOP gubernatorial primary, sought to make the case that his years in elected office and conservative record made him better prepared for the Senate. Graham Nordone, meanwhile, leaned into her status as a political outsider while highlighting Trump\u2019s support and her family\u2019s long ties to South Carolina politics.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4696588\/watch-live-trump-rally-darline-graham-nordone-south-carolina\/\">traveled to Myrtle Beach in the closing days of the runoff<\/a> to campaign alongside Graham Nordone, standing by his endorsed candidate after a debate performance that raised fresh questions about her lack of political experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the debate, Graham Nordone <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4692180\/darline-graham-national-security-south-carolina-senate\/\">acknowledged that she was<\/a> \u201cnot that informed on national security\u201d when asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea. The comment quickly drew criticism from Norman and other Republicans, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who backed Norman.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump defended Graham Nordone following the debate, praising her for being candid about what she did not know and reiterating his support for her campaign during his South Carolina rally. The president\u2019s intervention came as Republicans divided over which candidate should succeed Lindsey Graham.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham Nordone picked up endorsements from several prominent Republicans, including Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC), who finished behind Norman in the initial primary. Norman, meanwhile, secured the backing of former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who cited Norman\u2019s focus on federal spending and the national debt in announcing his support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham Nordone will now face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November. The Republican nominee will enter the general election as the favorite in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator in decades. Lindsey Graham won reelection in 2020 by roughly 10 percentage points, while Trump carried South Carolina by an even wider margin in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Graham Nordone, Tuesday\u2019s result also represents a rapid political ascent. Before entering the Senate last month, she spent much of her career working in disability services and most recently led the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4696875\/graham-nordone-leans-on-trump-rescue-senate-bid-after-debate-gaffe-russell-fry\/\"><strong>GRAHAM NORDONE LEANS ON TRUMP TO RESCUE SENATE BID AFTER DEBATE GAFFE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her relationship with her brother has also been central to the unusual circumstances surrounding the race. After their parents died when the siblings were young, Lindsey Graham became his younger sister\u2019s legal guardian and later adopted her so she could receive military benefits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham Nordone has sought to honor her brother\u2019s legacy while also drawing distinctions between the two, particularly by emphasizing domestic concerns such as affordability rather than the foreign policy issues that became a defining feature of Lindsey Graham\u2019s Senate career.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>[[IF RALPH NORMAN WINS]<\/strong>]\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ralph-norman\/\">Ralph Norman<\/a> (R-SC) defeated Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/darline-graham-nordone\/\">Darline Graham Nordone<\/a> (R-SC) in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-carolina\/\">South Carolina<\/a>\u2018s Republican Senate runoff Tuesday, overcoming President Donald Trump\u2019s endorsement of his opponent to win the GOP nomination for the seat previously held by the late Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\">Lindsey Graham<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With <strong>XX<\/strong>% of the vote counted, Norman had <strong>XX<\/strong>% of the vote compared with Graham Nordone\u2019s <strong>XX<\/strong>%, according to the <em>Associated Press<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norman\u2019s victory represents a high-profile setback for Trump, who threw his support behind Graham Nordone shortly after her brother\u2019s death and personally traveled to South Carolina in the closing days of the race to help push her across the finish line.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham Nordone entered the runoff having finished first in the initial 10-candidate Republican primary with nearly 33% of the vote. Norman, a five-term congressman who recently finished third in the GOP gubernatorial primary, finished second with roughly 25%, forcing a runoff after no candidate secured a majority.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Norman spent the abbreviated runoff arguing that his conservative record and experience in Congress made him better prepared for the Senate than Graham Nordone, who had never held elected office before Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) appointed her to fill the remainder of her brother\u2019s term last month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham Nordone faced heightened scrutiny in the final stretch after acknowledging during a debate that she was \u201cnot that informed on national security\u201d while responding to a question about Taiwan and the South China Sea. Norman seized on the remark to argue that Graham Nordone was not prepared for the job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4696875\/graham-nordone-leans-on-trump-rescue-senate-bid-after-debate-gaffe-russell-fry\/\"><strong>GRAHAM NORDONE LEANS ON TRUMP TO RESCUE SENATE BID AFTER DEBATE GAFFE <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump stood by Graham Nordone and campaigned on her behalf, while Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) also defended her qualifications. Norman, meanwhile, picked up support from former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who endorsed the congressman while pointing to his focus on federal spending and the national debt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Norman will now face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the November general election. The Republican nominee will enter the race as the favorite in a state where Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate election in decades.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Graham Nordone wins SC GOP Senate runoff, advances to general<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2649619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26233816188241.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[82872,81844,81842,84664],"class_list":["post-2649618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-graham-nordone","tag-political-election","tag-runoff-victory","tag-south-carolina-senate"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26233816188241.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2649618"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2649631,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649618\/revisions\/2649631"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2649619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2649618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2649618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2649618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}