U.S. President Donald Trump helps Sen. Darline Graham off the stage during a campaign rally at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on August 21, 2026 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump will test his support on Tuesday as South Carolina Republican Sen. Darin Graham faces off against Rep. Ralph Norman in a special Republican primary runoff to replace his late brother Lindsey Graham for a full six-year term in the Senate.
Two of Trump’s allies are running against each other in this race. Norman is a hard-line member of the House Freedom Caucus. But his relationship with Trump was at times strained over his initial support for South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican presidential primary and his tendency to express financial concerns about some of the president’s priorities. Throughout this election cycle, the president has targeted Republicans who oppose him and his policies.
Although Mr. Graham has only a short political career, he has enjoyed Mr. Trump’s enthusiastic support since the sudden death of his brother in July. Trump, who has had a close relationship with Lindsey Graham, traveled to South Carolina last week to campaign with her and held a conference call for her on Monday.
The winner of Tuesday’s runoff will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election. The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter calls this race “Solid R.” Before his death, Lindsey Graham was considered a likely candidate for re-election.
“There is no better person to honor the legacy of her beloved brother Lindsay. Darling comes from a truly amazing family, has been a lifelong winner, and has my full and total support in the South Carolina Senate special election,” President Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday.
But Trump’s full support of Graham could prove dangerous for the president, who is the de facto party leader and has traditionally played the role of kingmaker, but has suffered a string of recent defeats.
Mr. Graham, who had never been elected to office until he was appointed in July by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to serve out the remainder of his brother’s term, had an embarrassing moment in a debate with Mr. Norman last week.
Asked to comment on Taiwan’s importance to U.S. interests, Graham said he “doesn’t know much about national security,” raising questions about his suitability for the job. Graham has since defended her performance, claiming during her Fox News appearance that she “doesn’t speak the language of politicians.”
Mr. Norman ran unsuccessfully for South Carolina governor earlier this year, but he seized the opportunity to position himself as a proven conservative in the race.
“My opponent is unknown. She is backed by the Washington establishment,” Norman said in a recent appearance on Fox News. “She’s a solid candidate, and you’ll see that during the debate. This is an important job. There’s no job training that can do it effectively.”
The stakes are high for Trump, where some candidates in South Carolina and other parts of the country have recently fallen short.
In May, President Trump endorsed South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette in the Republican primary for governor, but ultimately co-endorsed her with Attorney General Alan Wilson, who defeated Evette in the June runoff. South Carolina Republicans also dealt a blow to Mr. Trump in May by blocking a partisan redistricting push in the middle of the decade.
Trump’s once-strong support has eroded in other regions as well. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) lost the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary to Zach Rahn in June, despite receiving support from President Trump.
In Wyoming’s Republican gubernatorial primary held this month, the candidate endorsed by President Trump lost. And two candidates Trump supported in the Florida House of Representatives, Rep. Cory Mills and Rep. Catalina Rauch, lost their respective primaries earlier this month.
According to a CNN analysis, a total of 10 pro-Trump candidates lost this election cycle, which is equal to the total number of pro-Trump candidates who lost in the 2018, 2020, and 2024 primaries.
