President Donald Trump delivered a win for Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina’s Republican Senate runoff on Tuesday, giving her a good shot of succeeding her late brother in the Senate.

Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., moving a step closer to securing a full six-year term in the seat held for more than two decades by Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died in July.

Graham’s win capped a compressed and contentious special primary in which Trump’s endorsement offered a fresh test of the president’s influence over Republican voters in a state he has carried three times.

Trump encouraged Graham to run and repeatedly backed her campaign, traveling to Myrtle Beach in the final days before the runoff to urge Republicans to turn out for her. MAGA Inc., a Trump-aligned super PAC, spent more than $827,000 on Graham’s behalf. And Monday night — hours before polls opened in the Palmetto State — Trump held his second telerally for her.

Trump’s early support for Graham in the wake of her brother’s death wasn’t enough to push her over the finish line in the Aug. 11 primary.

Graham also told MS NOW she spoke with the president after her victory and he congratulated her on the win.

Graham finished first in that special contest with about 33% of the vote, while Norman, a longtime congressman and member of the House Freedom Caucus, finished second, with about 25%.

The special election was triggered by Graham’s brother’s death in July, shortly after he had won the Republican nomination for another term. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham to temporarily fill the vacancy, giving the political newcomer her first experience in Congress. McMaster later endorsed her to permanently fill the seat for a full six-year term.

Graham celebrated her win Tuesday night while paying tribute to her late brother. 

“I continue to miss Lindsey every day and there is still a big hole in my heart, but I know he’s looking down right now, very proud of everyone in this room,” Graham told her supporters in Columbia, South Carolina.

She credited Trump’s endorsement and campaign support as crucial to her win.

“Our victory would not have been possible without you,” she said, adding, “South Carolina is truly Trump country.”

Graham campaigned as a conservative outsider and staunch Trump ally, emphasizing affordability, lower energy costs and support for the military. But she faced questions about her political inexperience, particularly after a runoff debate in which she acknowledged that she was “not that informed on national security” when asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea. The remark drew boos and gave Norman an opening to question whether she was prepared for the Senate. Trump defended Graham at a rally last Friday, calling her “very smart.” On the final day of the runoff campaign, MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC, spent more than $800,000 to support Graham.

Norman sought to make the runoff a choice between Graham’s outsider candidacy and his record as an establishment conservative. He emphasized fiscal restraint and reducing the national debt. Norman also questioned why Trump backed Graham despite his own support for much of the president’s agenda. During the 2024 Republican presidential primary, however, Norman endorsed former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley over Trump.

Norman conceded the race and quickly pledged to rally behind Graham in the general election.

“I’m going to support the Republican. I’m not supporting a Democrat, so I will support Darline as best I can,” Norman told a crowd of supporters at his watch party in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Graham will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in November. Republicans enter the general election favored in South Carolina, a state Trump carried by 18 percentage points in 2024.

Mychael Schnell contributed to this report.

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