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Graham wins GOP runoff
Sen. Darline Graham won the Republican Senate runoff in South Carolina on Tuesday night, defeating Rep. Ralph Norman in the special primary to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, on the ballot this November.
“Sen. Darline Graham won the Republican Senate runoff in South Carolina on Tuesday night”
CBS News projected the win after Lindsey Graham died suddenly last month, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed the late senator's sister to serve out the rest of his term, which ends early next year.
President Donald Trump encouraged Darline Graham to run for a full term and campaigned for her in the state last week, while the American Conservative said Graham defeated Norman 52 percent to 48 percent in the SC GOP Senate primary.
The American Conservative also reported that Graham, whom McMaster appointed in July to serve the remainder of her brother’s term, had no prior political experience and that Trump actively campaigned for her.
Debate, PAC money, quotes
As the runoff approached, Darline Graham billed herself as "a problem solver, a critical thinker, and a leader," despite her lack of experience in elected office, and CBS News said she struggled to answer a debate question regarding Taiwan and the South China Sea, saying she was "not that informed on national security."
The American Conservative quoted Graham in that debate with Norman saying “national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise.”
MAGA Inc., the super PAC that supports Trump and aligned Republicans, spent more than $800,000 on the special primary runoff, according to the Federal Election Commission, and CBS News reported the PAC spent more than $800,000 on phone calls to South Carolina voters for Darline Graham.
ABC News added that Graham told supporters in Columbia, South Carolina, "The past few weeks have been an unbelievably challenging time for our family, but you know what? We did it," and it also quoted her rally line, "Guilty as charged," after critics said she shouldn't run for the Senate.
November stakes and next fight
CBS News said Darline Graham's victory sets up a November contest against Dr. Annie Andrews, who won the Democratic primary in June, and it reported the seat is expected to remain in GOP control.
“Graham will face the Democratic candidate Annie Andrews in November.”
The American Conservative said Graham will face the Democratic candidate Annie Andrews in November, and it framed the matchup as a continuation of the GOP foreign-policy influence associated with her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.
ABC News reported that Graham told attendees, "South Carolina is truly Trump country," and it said Trump praised her later by saying "she only knows how to put America first."
ABC News also described Norman’s argument that his experience is his "resume" and quoted him saying, "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," as the runoff winner prepared for the general election.