South Carolina Republicans choose between Graham and Norman to replace late Sen. Lindsey Graham

South Carolina Republican voters cast ballots on August 25, 2026, in a special primary runoff to fill a U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. The race narrowed from an initial field of 10 candidates two weeks earlier to a final matchup between Darline Graham, the late senator's sister and current interim senator, and Congressman Ralph Norman, a member of the Freedom Caucus who has served in the House since 2017 after years in the state legislature. The winner will advance to the November general election against Democrat Annie Andrews in a solidly Republican state. Darline Graham was appointed to finish out the remainder of Lindsey Graham's term after his death, while Norman has built a legislative record over nearly a decade in Congress. The race centered on Graham's lack of political experience, which became a central issue during a one-on-one debate between the candidates. When asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea represent national security concerns for the United States, Graham responded: "I'm not that informed on national security. But I do support the military. I'm not a polished politician up here. National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military." Norman called Graham's answer "surprising" and stated: "There's no more important issue than national security. There's no time for training on the job." Former Gov. Nikki Haley wrote on social media that "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." Graham later told Fox News she "tripped up on one question" and argued that many voters were more focused on bread-and-butter issues. President Trump attended a rally in Myrtle Beach on Friday in one of his first major campaign stops during the 2026 midterms, endorsing Graham. Trump told reporters that Graham's debate answer was "a very honest answer, actually" and stated she "only knows how to put America first." Graham told the crowd at the rally: "The critics say I shouldn't run for the Senate. They say I'm not a politician. You know what I say? Guilty as charged." Norman's campaign argued that the race represented a choice between an outsider and someone with established legislative credentials. In a campaign ad, Norman said: "The establishment has already picked their candidate. Same old playbook, same old insiders. I'm not their choice. And this election is not for sale." Norman also questioned Trump's involvement in the race, asking why the president was focusing on a GOP-favoring state rather than contests where Republicans face a stronger Democratic challenge. A political scientist who managed some of Lindsey Graham's early congressional campaigns but is not working on this race predicted relatively low turnout in the off-cycle election. He noted that while some voters initially had sympathy for Darline Graham serving out her brother's term, sentiment had shifted: some voters "think that Ralph Norman has credibility on issues that Darline lacks." Friday marked the final day of early in-person voting. The Bottom Line: The August 25 runoff results will determine whether Trump's personal endorsement and outsider positioning outweigh concerns about national security expertise in a traditionally Republican stronghold. The winner faces Democrat Annie Andrews in November; the general election outcome would be invalidated only if the voting results are decertified or major external events shift the state's historical GOP lean.