Graham Seeks to Avoid Runoff in S.C. Senate Primary
By Michael Katz | Sunday, 09 August 2026 04:02 PM EDT
Even with President Donald Trump's support, Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., might not find smooth sailing in Tuesday's special Republican primary to succeed her late brother as the party's nominee for November's general election.
Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham to complete the term of her brother, Lindsey Graham, who easily won the South Carolina Republican primary in June but died July 11 of an aortic dissection.
The special primary has some echoes of the GOP gubernatorial contest to replace McMaster, who is term-limited. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, initially backed by Trump, failed to secure 50% of the vote and was forced into a runoff with Attorney General Alan Wilson. Evette lost the runoff after Trump took the unusual step of also endorsing Wilson, giving both candidates his backing.
A Quantus Insights poll released Friday showed Graham comfortably ahead with 30.4% support, or 33.1% when voters leaning toward a candidate were included. With a crowded field of nine other candidates, including Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry and former Gov. Mark Sanford, Graham could have difficulty reaching 50% and avoiding an Aug. 25 runoff.
Tuesday's primary will mark Graham's first campaign as a candidate. Several local Republican officials and strategists believe Graham is in a strong position to win the first round of voting, Politico reported. But whoever finishes second could shape the dynamics of a runoff and test the strength of Trump's endorsement.
Even though Evette won the first round of voting in the gubernatorial primary, critics said she leaned too heavily on her ties to the president instead of emphasizing an issues-first message in the runoff.
"I think most of the criticism came because I got his endorsement, and everybody was fighting for his endorsement. That's how I looked at it," Evette told Politico, deflecting the criticism. "In states like this that have these runoffs, where very few people come out, I think if you're not tied into the establishment, I think it hurts you in some form of fashion."
Graham is making a clear effort to differentiate herself not only from her rivals but also from her brother.
"Of course, the campaign's advertising highlights the Trump endorsement. We're proud of it, and there's no question it's still the gold standard in Republican politics," a person familiar with Graham's approach told Politico. The person was granted anonymity to discuss internal campaign strategy.
"But Darline knows an endorsement opens a door, it doesn't walk through it for you," the person said. "She's out there every day earning this on her own because that's what voters deserve — a candidate who shows up and makes her own case, not one who assumes the race is already won."
One of Graham's key advantages is the seasoned team and statewide campaign infrastructure she inherited from her brother, whose political organization helped fuel decades of electoral success in South Carolina.
"Lindsey's team has been the best team in South Carolina,"
Tyson Grinstead, an RNC committee member and chair of the Richland County GOP, told Politico. Grinstead, who is staying neutral in the Senate race, worked for Lindsey Graham's campaigns in previous election cycles.
"They're organized, they have a grassroots presence, they have field staff," he said.
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READ MORE: https://www.newsmax.com/politics/darline-graham-south-carolina-primary/2026/08/09/id/1265540/
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