South Carolina Republicans voted to try to keep one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats in the Graham family, as Darline Graham Nordone, who was appointed to fill it temporarily, has won the runoff for the special Republican primary election to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham on the ballot in the November general election.
The Associated Press called the race at 9:01 p.m. ET, as Nordone led with about 52.5% of the vote.
Nordone said in a speech after securing the nomination that she has mixed emotions about her primary victory and that she misses her brother.
“There is still a big hole in my heart,” Nordone told supporters at a rally, “but I know he’s looking down right now very proud of everyone in this room.”
She then added that her nomination is merely “the starting line for an even bigger fight which lies ahead.”
Nordone will next face off against the Democratic candidate Annie Andrews, a pediatrician who won her primary in June. The upper chamber seat, though, is unlikely to flip in Democrats’ favor; the Cook Political Report rates the race as “Solid Republican.”
In June, Graham won the Republican primary race to compete for his fifth term as Senator, but after his death the following month, a special primary election was called for Aug. 11. While Nordone, who was appointed by South Carolina’s Governor to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term, earned the highest share of the vote on Aug. 11, she fell short of the majority she needed to win the race, triggering the runoff. Nordone earned nearly 33% of the vote on Aug. 11, while her opponent, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, came in second, with nearly 25%, sending both candidates to the runoff race.
President Donald Trump had championed Nordone in the race, publicly encouraging her to run for a full term before she had even announced her plans to do so. In a Truth Social post in July, Trump called Nordone “a spectacular person, and a true American Patriot.”
“Lindsey was one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, and his sister shares his deep love of our Country, and the State of South Carolina,” Trump said in his post. He added that he asked Nordone to run for a full term, saying, “I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey. Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina.”
Although Nordone was a strong supporter of her brother’s political career over the years, she had never before held elected office. Her lack of political experience was the subject of scrutiny during her campaign, particularly after a debate against Norman leading up to Tuesday’s runoff. When asked during the debate if Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security issues for the U.S., Nordone replied: “I’m just going to be honest here … I’m not that informed on national security, so.”
Her opponents were quick to criticize her for the remark. Nikki Haley, Trump’s former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. who endorsed Norman in the race, shared a clip of Nordone’s response to the debate question on X, saying, “Lindsey Graham was well informed on the United States’ national security. Darline Graham admits she’s not. This is not something you inherit. And it’s critical in the U.S. Senate.”
Nordone responded to the backlash in an interview on Fox News.
“I tripped up on one question last night,” she said. “But you know, I’ve said many times, I’m not a politician, certainly not a career politician. I don’t speak politician. You know, I was just honest, and I think that’s kind of a foreign concept.”
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