Washington, DC [US], August 26 (ANI): Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of late US Senator Lindsey Graham, secured the Republican nomination to succeed him on South Carolina’s general election ballot, Politico reported.
Nordone defeated US Representative Ralph Norman in Tuesday’s special Republican primary runoff, two weeks after both candidates emerged at the top of a 10-way primary field, the report added.
Her victory underscored the decisive impact of high-profile backing, as US President Donald Trump went to great lengths to support her candidacy. Trump encouraged her entry with an early endorsement, stood by her after a debate misstep and held a rally in Myrtle Beach, a level of direct involvement rarely seen during this election cycle.
The financial backing behind her candidacy was also significant. Politico reported that MAGA Inc., Trump’s primary super PAC, spent more than USD 827,000 on targeted phone calls and text messages supporting Graham, providing the kind of substantial backing that Republicans in competitive races have sought.
The decisive outcome highlighted the continuing influence of Trump’s endorsement in Republican politics when combined with sustained campaign involvement.
Following the primary victory, Graham will officially replace her late brother on the ballot in November as the Republican nominee, placing her on a direct path toward securing a full Senate term in deeply Republican South Carolina.
The sustained support was particularly important during the intensive two-week runoff campaign, when Norman and his allies attacked Graham over her lack of political experience following a foreign policy debate misstep.
However, sharing the stage with Trump at a closing rally allowed Graham to reinforce her alignment with the President, Politico reported.
The victory marks a dramatic rise for a figure previously unknown in public politics. Graham had never held elected office and was appointed to the Senate by Republican Governor Henry McMaster following Lindsey Graham’s sudden death in July.
Before her appointment, she had headed South Carolina’s Commission for the Blind since 2019, following a tenure at the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation Department.
In contrast, her opponent Norman, a House Freedom Caucus veteran with nine years in Congress, struggled to convert his legislative record into votes. Politico noted that while Norman broadly supported the administration’s policy agenda, he had occasionally clashed with Trump over federal spending.
Ultimately, Norman’s congressional background proved insufficient to overcome Graham’s momentum, while he also faced significant opposition from the solar industry, which spent USD 1 million in targeted efforts to derail his campaign. (ANI)
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