Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, placed first in the Republican primary to fill the powerful senator’s seat for a six-year term after his unexpected death. Because she did not win an outright majority, though, despite President Trump’s support, Tuesday night’s result sets up another battle for the political novice in two weeks’ time.
Runoff Against Rep. Ralph Norman
Ms. Graham now faces Rep. Ralph Norman, a hardline conservative who has spent a decade on Capitol Hill, making a name for himself as a fiscal hawk. After the first-place finish, Ms. Graham thanked the president for his support.
“He knows that I will stand with him and fight for his agenda just like Lindsey did,” she said. Mr. Norman also claimed vindication in a statement, saying that he is the “proven conservative” in all capital letters for emphasis.
“Tonight, voters made it clear they want a proven conservative with a record of getting the job done on the ballot for the U.S. Senate, and as we advance to the runoff, that’s exactly what I’ll give them,” he said. The special primary election gave Mr. Norman, who fell short in the June Republican gubernatorial primary, a chance to extend his career on Capitol Hill.
Campaign Priorities
Ms. Graham came out on top over a crowded field of candidates that also included Rep. Russell Fry, businessman Mark Lynch and former Gov. Mark Sanford. With 86% of the vote counted, Ms. Graham had 33% of the vote to Mr. Norman’s 24% and Mr. Fry’s 20%. Ms. Graham had never held prior elected office before Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, appointed her at Mr. Trump’s urging.
She has inherited many of her brother’s political assets — his Senate seat and campaign staff, the support of his super PAC and the president’s endorsement — but she has made clear she has different priorities. “Lindsey was probably much more focused on national security, and I know that’s important, but I will probably be focused more on affordability,” she recently told Fox News.
Original reporting: WMAL (Washington DC) — read the source article.
