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by WILL FOLKS
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Backed by U.S. president Donald Trump, endorsed by the National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC), propagandized by Fox News and bankrolled by millions of dollars in neoconservative dark money, interim U.S. senator Darline Graham Nordone stormed to a significantly stronger-than-expected victory over Freedom Caucus stalwart Ralph Norman in a special GOP runoff election for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina on Tuesday evening.
With her win, Nordone advances to face Democrat Annie Andrews, Libertarian Kasie Whitener, Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett and several other independent candidates on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
The winner of that race will serve a full six-year term in Washington, D.C. beginning on January 3, 2027. Nordone has held the seat on an interim basis for the past month-and-a-half.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to accept your nomination as the Republican candidate for the United States Senate,” Nordone said. “Now, we turn our focus to November. Together, we will fight for our values, defend South Carolina, and keep America strong.”
According to the S.C. State Election Commission (SCVotes), with 99% of ballots counted, Nordone had received 193,360 votes (or 52.45% of ballots cast). Norman trailed with 175,306 votes (or 47.55% of all ballots cast).
That five percent spread was much larger than anyone projected. Even on the eve of the election, prominent (and pro-Trump) pollsters only had Nordone ahead by 0.1% – while the vast majority of internal campaign polls had Norman winning the race handily.
What else was larger than expected? The size of the electorate…
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In South Carolina partisan primary elections, head-to-head runoff races – which occur when no candidate receives a simple majority of voters on the first ballot – typically have far fewer voters participating. In this case, though, voter turnout actually increased on the second ballot.
According to SCVotes, 368,957 ballots were cast on Tuesday – a participation rate of 12.22%. Two weeks ago, 335,693 GOP voters cast ballots (an 11.12% participation rate).
The GOP nomination for this seat was originally claimed by Nordone’s brother, the late Lindsey Graham, on June 9, 2026. Graham died suddenly a month later, though, triggering the special election to fill his spot on the ballot.
Two weeks ago, Nordone and Norman advanced out of a crowded GOP field to face each other in a head-to-head race that most believed Norman was well-positioned to win. The wealthy real estate developer stumbled badly out of the gate, though, firing most of his campaign staff and failing to counter a withering barrage of negative advertising launched at him by pro-Nordone political action committees.
Norman was massively outspent in the abbreviated contest, and Trump’s support was critical in swaying voters in the heavily MAGA seventh congressional district – where he kicked off his initial ‘First in the South’ presidential campaign a decade ago. Backed by Trump – and endorsed by her former rival, coastal congressman Russell Fry – Nordone won a staggering 73% of the vote in Horry County.
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Nordone won despite her late brother’s declining popularity, her embrace of discredited diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) propaganda, a lack of support from social conservatives and a debate gaffe that raised significant questions about her competence for the job.
Ultimately, GOP voters decided they didn’t care about any of that… and turned out in shockingly high numbers to back her candidacy regardless.
With Nordone duly anointed as her brother’s successor, GOP leaders are undertaking what would appear to be an especially arduous task of unifying a badly divided Republican electorate.
“Now that the voters have spoken, it is time for every Republican across South Carolina to come together and focus on the general election,” GOP gubernatorial nominee Alan Wilson said as the results were announced. “With money and manpower from the National Democrat Party, Democrats have assembled the most radical statewide ticket in South Carolina history. I believe our message of affordability, law and order, and keeping socialism out of our state is a winning vision. United as one team, we will march to victory in November to deliver for South Carolina families. The real work begins now.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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