Republicans head to the polls in South Carolina on Tuesday for a special primary to fill the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat, and President Donald Trump is working hard to secure it for an ally.
But in a rare twist for a red-state primary in the Trump era, his preferred candidate is struggling to consolidate the field behind her — and his sway over the race looks shakier than usual, The Washington Post reported.
Trump is backing Darline Graham, the late senator’s sister, who was sworn in last month to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term. The problem, according to conservative activists in the state, is that she has no real history in Trump’s movement, and voting records reviewed by the Post show she didn’t cast a ballot in his 2024 presidential primary or the 2016 general election.
She’s not alone in that awkward position. Rep. Russell Fry, the candidate Trump nearly endorsed before Graham entered the race, also didn’t vote in the 2024 primary, state records show, though he publicly backed Trump at the time. A spokesperson said Fry did vote and simply lacks proof.
Meanwhile, Rep. Ralph Norman was the only House Republican to endorse Nikki Haley over Trump in 2024 — a fact Trump raised directly when Norman called seeking his own endorsement, and former Gov. Mark Sanford, who ran against Trump in the 2020 presidential primary, remains openly critical of the president’s record on spending and foreign policy.
The result is a primary where none of the leading candidates offers Trump a clean, uncomplicated ally — undercutting the kind of decisive influence he’s typically wielded in GOP contests since 2016. Adding to the uncertainty, Trump’s endorsement in June’s governor’s primary nearly failed outright, forcing him to issue a last-minute second endorsement to avoid a loss.
With no candidate expected to clear 50 percent Tuesday, the race is likely headed to an Aug. 25 runoff. Trump is set to hold a tele-rally for Graham Monday night, but a senior White House official said there have been no discussions yet about a dual endorsement if the runoff arrives — the same maneuver Trump used to salvage the governor’s race.
“What I’m hearing is, people are like, ‘The election’s on Tuesday, and I still don’t know who I’m voting for.’ I’ve heard that more than anything, because they’re so impressed with many of these candidates,” said Alan Wilson, the state’s attorney general and Republican nominee for governor.
“While they love the president and they’re supportive of the president,” Wilson added, “they want a candidate who can stand on their own two feet.”
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