U.S. Sen. Darline Graham defeated U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman in Tuesday’s Republican runoff for U.S. Senate, securing the GOP nomination for the November general election and carrying Clarendon County by more than a 2-to-1 margin.
Graham received 1,336 votes in Clarendon County, or about 68% of the 1,964 votes cast in the runoff. Norman received 628 votes, or about 32%, according to local election results.
Statewide, Graham defeated Norman with about 52% of the vote to Norman's 48%, securing the Republican nomination for the seat previously held by her brother, the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. The Associated Press called the race shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Graham will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in the Nov. 3 general election. The winner will serve a full six-year term beginning in January.
The special election was triggered by Lindsey Graham's death July 11, about a month after he won the Republican nomination for another term. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham, his younger sister, to serve the remainder of his current term, which expires in January.
Darline Graham, 62, entered the race as a first-time candidate. She led a 10-candidate special Republican primary Aug. 11 with about 33% of the vote, while Norman finished second with about 25%. Because no candidate received a majority, the top two advanced to Tuesday's runoff.
Graham had the backing of President Donald Trump, who traveled to Myrtle Beach on Friday to campaign with her. She also received endorsements from U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, U.S. Rep. Russell Fry and McMaster.
Norman, 73, has represented South Carolina's 5th Congressional District since 2017 and previously served in the state House. He also ran for governor earlier this year.
Clarendon County voters favored Graham by an even wider margin than voters statewide. Her strongest local totals included 272 votes cast during early voting, compared with 142 for Norman. She also received 252 votes in the Jordan precinct compared with Norman's 87, according to the county results.
Tuesday's victory puts Graham on the November ballot as she seeks to continue serving in the Senate beyond the remainder of her brother's term.
