{"id":2649771,"date":"2026-08-26T08:16:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T12:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigntrump-endorsement-brings-very-nice-lady-victory-in-south-carolina-senate-runoff\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T08:19:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T12:19:18","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigntrump-endorsement-brings-very-nice-lady-victory-in-south-carolina-senate-runoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigntrump-endorsement-brings-very-nice-lady-victory-in-south-carolina-senate-runoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Blessing Brings &#8216;Very Nice Lady&#8217; A Win In SC Senate Race"},"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\">24<\/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%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaigntrump-endorsement-brings-very-nice-lady-victory-in-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=2649771&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>Darline Graham secured the Republican nomination for south Carolina\u2019s Senate seat in a special primary runoff, backed by Donald Trump\u2019s endorsement, and will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election. Despite her lack of experience on national security issues, her victory was largely attributed to Trump\u2019s support, which has a 97% success rate in endorsing candidates this cycle. Graham\u2019s win came after she narrowly defeated Rep. Ralph Norman, in a race where some speculate that Democratic voters may have inadvertently helped her win by voting in the Republican runoff due to South Carolina\u2019s open primary system.Critics express concern that graham, who is untested in Trump-aligned policies, might not effectively advocate the Trump agenda in the Senate.<\/p>\n<p>In Oklahoma, Trump-supported Mike Mazzei narrowly won the Republican gubernatorial runoff, secured by a significant campaign loan and endorsements from key figures, including former Congressman Markwayne Mullin. Mazzei\u2019s victory highlights Trump\u2019s continued influence in primary races,boasting a high endorsement success rate.<\/p>\n<p>In Alaska, \u201cDecoy Dan\u201d Sullivan advanced to the general election, despite accusations that his candidacy was designed to confuse voters and siphon votes from the incumbent Dan Sullivan, perhaps benefiting Democrat Mary Peltola. The use of tactics aimed at confusing voters illustrates a strategic move within Alaska\u2019s ranked-choice voting system.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s endorsement power remains a dominant force in Republican primaries across states,helping certain candidates secure nominations and potentially shaping the general election landscape.  <\/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<div>\n<p>The Trump endorsement wins again, this time in the Palmetto State\u2019s special primary runoff where Darline Graham secured the GOP nomination for the Senate seat her late brother long held. <\/p>\n<p>Graham beat proven conservative Rep. Ralph Norman by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-primary-special-elections\/south-carolina-senate-runoff-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5 percenta<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2026-primary-special-elections\/south-carolina-senate-runoff-results\">ge points<\/a> (52.5% to 47.5%), with primary voters opting for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/08\/19\/darline-graham-taiwan-flub-south-carolina-senate-01042395\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cwoefully\u201d unprepared \u201cvery nice lady\u201d<\/a> over a five-term congressman and Freedom Caucus member who is<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/darline-graham-taiwan-debate-national-security-5b045abd68cc4aa350177b5d1c6ee650\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> informed on national security<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Graham will face Democrat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/annie-andrews-chances-of-beating-darline-graham-south-carolina-12364487\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Annie Andrews<\/a> in November\u2019s general election. Ruby red South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to Senate since before the turn of the 21st century. <\/p>\n<p>Gov. Henry McMaster <a href=\"https:\/\/governor.sc.gov\/news\/2026-07\/gov-mcmaster-appoints-darline-graham-us-senate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tapped <\/a>Graham to serve out her brother Lindsey Graham\u2019s current term after South Carolina\u2019s senior senator died in July \u2014 less than four months before November\u2019s midterm election. Now Darline Graham stands an election away from keeping the seat her brother had held for four terms, and was running for a fifth. <\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Our Victory Would not have been Possible\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI want to thank President Trump for all of his support and his endorsement,\u201d the Republican nominee <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6404052083112\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> following her win. Speaking to her biggest benefactor, Graham said her brother truly loved the president and thought of Trump as one of his closest friends. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur victory would not have been possible without you and we are truly grateful,\u201d the senator said. <\/p>\n<p>She couldn\u2019t have been more correct. <\/p>\n<p>During his concession speech, Norman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/abcnews4\/videos\/during-rep-ralph-normans-concession-speech-he-derided-the-outside-pac-money-spen\/1404502261609233\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> supporters that he never understood why Trump got involved in the South Carolina race. Darline Graham is thanking her lucky stars that he did. <\/p>\n<p>But Democrats may have helped Graham\u2019s cause, too. She was viewed by many as the weaker of the two candidates in the GOP runoff \u2014 the one Dems would rather face in November. As conservative activist Tyler Bowyer noted, the Democrats who did not vote in the primary could opt to vote in the Republican primary runoff \u201cfor a second dip\u201d in South Carolina\u2019s open primaries. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTotally screwed up system that benefits moderate Republicans with Dem votes, not just ONCE but TWICE,\u201d Bowyer wrote on X. <\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>FWIW as results come in, South Carolina has open primaries which allow democrats to vote in Republican Primary elections. <\/p>\n<p>For the runoff, if Democrats didn&#8217;t vote in the primary, they can be targeted to vote in the Republican Primary runoff for a second dip at Democrats.\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/E17ZFFf4fV\">https:\/\/t.co\/E17ZFFf4fV<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tylerbowyer\/status\/2092398455918657657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Lindsey Graham may have been a staunch Trump ally, but he was no warrior for the MAGA cause. His sister, critics argued, is untested without a history of pro-Trump positions. The big fear: Darline Graham will become an empty vessel for Senate RINOs who have shrugged off much of Trump\u2019s agenda as if that agenda didn\u2019t put Republicans back in control of the Senate. <\/p>\n<p>Just days before Tuesday\u2019s runoff, Graham stumbled badly, saying national security wasn\u2019t her \u201cthing\u201d when asked about U.S. foreign policy in Taiwan and China during a debate. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m just going to be honest here \u2026 I\u2019m not that informed on national security, so,\u201d adding that \u201cnational security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt very much confirmed many of our suspicions that while she might be a very nice lady, she is woefully underprepared or unprepared to be one of the 100 U.S. senators in the Senate,\u201d state Rep. Jordan Pace, a Norman supporter, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/08\/19\/darline-graham-taiwan-flub-south-carolina-senate-01042395\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told <\/a>Politico in an interview.<\/p>\n<p>But the Trump endorsement once again proved more than enough to compensate for candidate weaknesses. <\/p>\n<p>Heading into Tuesday\u2019s primaries Trump had posted a <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/6046531-trump-claims-endorsement-success-midterms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">97 percent<\/a> win rate for candidates he\u2019s endorsed this election cycle \u2014 254 victories in 262 races. <\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Helping Us Across the Finish Line\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Trump padded his endorsement record on Tuesday in Oklahoma\u2019s governor runoff election, with former state Sen. Mike Mazzei\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2026\/08\/25\/us\/elections\/results-oklahoma-governor-runoff.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paper-thin win <\/a>over Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. The Republicans fought a bruising battle, with Drummond holding a slight edge in June\u2019s primary, which set up Tuesday\u2019s runoff.  <\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>Oklahoma, thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Tonight, you made your voice heard. I am deeply honored to be your Republican nominee for Governor.<\/p>\n<p>This campaign has always been about something bigger than one election. It\u2019s about reclaiming Oklahoma\u2019s potential, protecting our values, cutting taxes,\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sRNiXhTCaH\">pic.twitter.com\/sRNiXhTCaH<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014 Mike Mazzei (@MazzeiMike) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MazzeiMike\/status\/2092445277680480663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Mazzei, whose campaign coffers were bolstered by his personal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/08\/25\/mazzei-wins-oklahoma-governor-runoff-01050323\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$11.6 million loan<\/a>, also received the support of Trump Department of Homeland Security Secretary\u00a0 Markwayne Mullin, who had served Oklahoma in Congress for 13 years, 10 years in the House and three in the Senate. He had the state GOP\u2019s backing, too. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe wanted to keep you on the edge of your seats for a little while, or at least on the edge of my seat,\u201d a relieved Mazzei <a href=\"https:\/\/nondoc.com\/2026\/08\/25\/edge-of-your-seats-trump-support-propels-mike-mazzei-past-gentner-drummond\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">joked<\/a> with supporters at his watch party in Tulsa after the race was called. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks, of course, to President Donald J. Trump for helping us across the finish line,\u201d Mazzei said to loud applause from attendees of the watch party, Nondoc <a href=\"https:\/\/nondoc.com\/2026\/08\/25\/edge-of-your-seats-trump-support-propels-mike-mazzei-past-gentner-drummond\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Decoy Dan\u2019 Makes the Cut <\/h2>\n<p>Also on Tuesday, the final vote tallies came in from Alaska\u2019s Aug. 18 primary election, showing <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/alaska-primary-senate-congress-midterms-dan-sullivan-592c7fb777ed9e68da0c31d8ed7346e8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cDecoy Dan\u201d Sullivan advancing<\/a> to November\u2019s general election under The Last Frontier\u2019s rigged ranked-choice voting system. The Democrat plant is accused of running to confuse voters considering casting their ballots for the incumbent Republican senator, also named Dan Sullivan. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMake no mistake, the entire purpose of this man\u2019s candidacy is to siphon votes away from Sen. Sullivan by confusing voters,\u201d The Federalist\u2019s John Daniel Davidson <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/08\/24\/the-senate-race-in-alaska-is-what-a-rigged-election-looks-like\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> Monday. \u201cHe even initially tried to register with the Alaska Division of Elections as \u2018Dan S. Sullivan,\u2019 adopting the incumbent\u2019s middle initial so that the two names would appear identical on the ballot. He then created a website that was markedly similar (in format, color scheme, etc.) to Sen. Sullivan\u2019s reelection site.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite Decoy Dan advancing to the four-person RCV ballot in November, the race ultimately will come down to the incumbent and former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. But the other Dan Sullivan could grab enough votes from Sen. Dan Sullivan to push Peltola and the Democrats over the top \u2014 exactly how the Dems planned it in a red state that Trump won by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/08\/26\/dan-sullivan-alaska-senate-race-01050349\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">13 percentage points<\/a> in 2024. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Matt Kittle is a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist. An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-knew-100-percent-he-was-fighting-for-the-little-guy-former-top-trump-economic-adviser\/\" title=\"Trump Knew \u2018100 Percent\u2019 He Was \u2018Fighting for the Little Guy\u2019: Former Top Trump Economic Adviser\">award-winning investigative reporter<\/a> and 30-year veteran of print, broadcast, and online journalism, Kittle previously served as the executive director of Empower Wisconsin.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump-backed Graham wins SC Senate primary over Norman<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":656,"featured_media":2649772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screenshot-2026-08-26-at-1.35.02-AM-1024x576.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[38125,39035,39203,84676,3634],"class_list":["post-2649771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-election-victory","tag-political-endorsement","tag-republican-politics","tag-sc-senate-race","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screenshot-2026-08-26-at-1.35.02-AM-1024x576.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649771","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\/656"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2649771"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2649775,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649771\/revisions\/2649775"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2649772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2649771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2649771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2649771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}