politics
Darline Graham and Ralph Norman Advance to Runoff in South Carolina GOP Senate Primary, CBS News Projects
Updated on: August 11, 2026 / 9:16 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- Darline Graham and Ralph Norman will advance to a runoff in the South Carolina special Republican primary for Senate.
- The runoff is scheduled for August 25th, as no candidate secured over 50% of the vote in the initial primary.
- The special primary was held to find a replacement Republican candidate after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham.
- Darline Graham, the late senator's sister, was appointed to serve out his term and is now running for a full term.
- Rep. Russell Fry, former Gov. Mark Sanford, and businessman Mark Lynch were also among the ten candidates in the primary.
- Opponents have highlighted Darline Graham's lack of elected experience, while she has sought to balance her brother's legacy with a focus on domestic issues.
- The seat is considered a safe Republican victory, as evidenced by Lindsey Graham's and President Trump's previous wins in the state.