Darline Graham faces make-or-break GOP runoff in historic bid to keep brother’s Senate seat
Tuesday’s statewide runoff elections in South Carolina, Oklahoma and Georgia have turned into a high‑stakes test of former President Donald Trump’s continued grip on the Republican Party, even though his name is not on any ballot.
In South Carolina, voters will decide the Republican nominee for the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who died unexpectedly this summer at age 71. The contest pits Darline Graham—appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to finish her brother’s term—against Representative Ralph Norman, a conservative member of the House Freedom Caucus. Trump headlined a rally for Graham in Myrtle Beach on Friday, urging supporters to “pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot” and come out to vote. “We need every South Carolina patriot to go to the polls and vote for Darline Graham,” he said.
Graham’s coalition includes Governor McMaster, Representative Russell Fry—a top Trump ally—and Senator Tim Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Norman, meanwhile, has secured endorsements from former Governor Nikki Haley and former Governor Mark Sanford, both of whom have clashed with Trump in the past. Sanford, who briefly challenged Trump for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination, cited the nation’s mounting debt as a key reason for backing Norman.
The South Carolina race has taken on added weight after Trump’s preferred candidate in the state’s gubernatorial runoff—Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette—lost to Attorney General Alan Wilson in a landslide. A Republican strategist, speaking without attribution, said the outcome “is becoming a referendum on Trump,” noting that Trump “came to South Carolina to solidify his endorsement because he has to show a win here.”
In Oklahoma, the Republican gubernatorial runoff features former state budget secretary and former state Senator Mike Mazzei against State Attorney General Gentner Drummond. Mazzei earned Trump’s endorsement, while Drummond led the initial June primary but fell short of a majority in a crowded field. The winner will be the clear favorite in November in the heavily Republican state.
Trump’s endorsement record this cycle is mixed. While he has notched a number of primary victories, five of his gubernatorial picks have lost, including candidates in Georgia, Iowa, Wyoming and Minnesota. “There’s no question that an endorsement from President Trump provides a tremendous boost in a Republican primary,” said veteran GOP strategist Ryan Williams. “But it doesn’t necessarily mean the candidate’s going to win if there are underlying issues with a candidacy.”
A separate runoff in Georgia will fill the remainder of the term of the late Democratic Representative David Scott, who died in April. Both candidates—Everton Blair, a former Gwinnett County School Board chair, and Marcye Scott, the congressman’s daughter—are Democrats. The winner will serve the remaining months of the year and could affect the already razor‑thin Republican majority in the U.S. House.
As voters head to the polls Tuesday, both parties will be watching to see whether Trump’s endorsements can reverse recent setbacks and cement his status as the GOP’s leading kingmaker heading into the midterm elections.
