U.S. Sen. Darline Graham led Tuesday’s special Republican primary in Clarendon County and statewide, while U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman secured the second statewide spot in the Aug. 25 runoff despite finishing fourth locally.
Graham received 739 votes, or 39.2% of the 1,884 votes reported in Clarendon County, according to unofficial county results.
U.S. Rep. Russell Fry finished second in the county with 458 votes, or 24.3%, followed by former Gov. Mark Sanford with 305 votes, or 16.2%. Norman received 262 votes, or 13.9%.
Statewide, Graham led the 10-candidate field with about 33% of the vote, while Norman finished second with nearly 25%. Fry placed third statewide, followed by Sanford.
A runoff is required in South Carolina when no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.
Graham carried most of Clarendon County’s precincts and collected 147 early votes. Her largest Election Day totals came from Jordan, where she received 126 votes, and Davis Station, where she received 77.
Fry collected 125 early votes and posted his largest Election Day totals in Jordan with 56, Turbeville with 43 and Summerton 4 with 28.
Norman received 57 early votes. His strongest Election Day results came from Jordan with 32 votes and Davis Station with 25.
Sanford collected 63 early votes, while his largest Election Day total was 54 votes in Jordan.
The remaining candidates each received fewer than 100 votes in Clarendon County. Mark Lynch received 64 votes; Duke Buckner, 25; Danny Ford II, 17; Glenda Gail Parker, seven; Mark McBride, five; and Samuel “Sam” Shepherd, two.
The special election follows the July 11 death of longtime U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham, the senator’s younger sister, to serve the remainder of his term, which expires in January.
Darline Graham, who previously spent 28 years working in state government, became the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. She entered the race for a full six-year term after receiving an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Norman, 73, has represented South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District since winning a special election in 2017. He ran for governor earlier this year but was defeated in the June Republican primary.
Graham, a 62-year-old first-time candidate, and Norman will compete in the Aug. 25 runoff. The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election.
