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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.”
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South Carolina, I am deeply honored and humbled to accept your nomination as the Republican candidate for the United States Senate.
— Darline Graham (@DarlineGrahamSC) August 26, 2026
First and foremost, I thank the Lord for His blessings and guidance. To my family, President Trump, Team Graham, and the countless supporters… pic.twitter.com/R2nCBocrIf
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According to certified results from the S.C. State Election Commission (SCVotes), Nordone received 193,486 votes (or 52.45% of ballots cast). Norman trailed with 175,412 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.
Norman acknowledged the surprising nature of Nordone’s victory when he told those assembled at his watch party that he hadn’t prepared a concession speech.
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, 369,190 ballots were cast on Tuesday – a participation rate of 12.23%. 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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15 comments
I am surprised that the margin was not much wider. Given the large number of Trumptards in South Carolina, I would have thought the Trump Faithful would have pushed this hen party through with even more gusto. Admittedly, there wasn’t much of a choice, but I perceived enough difference to go and vote for Norman. No matter what, our Senate seat will go from a male who Legislated like a woman to his sister. Nikki Haley should have taught us that if you want something fucked up, you elect a man. If you want it REALLY fucked up, elect a woman. While I doubt she has a chance in this heavily MIGA state, I will vote to REALLY fuck things up and vote for Andrews.
Your vote for Andrews shows it’s true that democrats are voting in R primaries as claimed. It also shows that you are REALLY fucked up.
No man! I am just sick of the Republican party and these totally shit candidates they keep giving us to work with. If they give us nothing but Democrats in Republican labels, then I may as well vote for a real Democrat.
I understand and am sick of the rinos but will vote libertarian instead. The democrat party is way too unhinged to even consider especially a woman who thinks transitioning a young child is ok,
Neither candidate is worth my vote and neither will receive it in November. I abstained from Lindsey’s last election and I’ll write in my preferred candidate this time.
It’s true that many of the Republican candidates are terrible. The Democrats are far worse.
What a way to run a republic.
As frustrating as it is unsurprising. I already view Republicans as below average Americans, but SC Republicans are below average Republicans. They really will just vote for any clod, for any reason, or just no reason at all.
This is as dumb as SC Democrats giving Alvin Greene a primary win, except Republicans do something on this level of stupid on such a consistent basis it defies all logic. I mean, how long was Lindsay senator again? Let alone Nancy Mace or post-affair Mark Sanford.
Anyways, as my namesake suggests, you know what needs to be done in November.
A doctor versus a ditzy dipshit.
“Dr. Annie” is nothing more than a failed political candidate who happened to be a doctor before she jumped into an empty seat to run against (and get trounced by) Crazy Train Mace. She claims to have gotten interested in politics after the Parkland shooting. She’s never led anything.
Graham-Nordone was commissioner and agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. Additionally, she is on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and the SC Works Management Committee. She is currently the elected president of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.
Who has a better background and experience for working on South Carolina’s behalf in DC, a South Carolina born, state agency head, with national leadership experience or a Kentuckian doctor, tired of being a doctor?
And yet she’s still much smarter than a Trumpsucker like you.
I have underestimated the still-substantial power of Fox News over the 60+ demo, who are the ones who gave the win to Nordone. Norman was his own worst enemy though and didn’t deploy the funds he had available to push back on the neocon TV/text/social media blitz – I guess he thought he had Alan Wilson runoff vibes; swing and a miss (but Norman is known for that to begin with.) At the end of the day, neither candidate excited me at all. But I am curious about possible undetected Dem crossover votes – not making any claims, but curious.
12% of the Registered voters voted. This is not a mandate. Write-in in the General. Force a hand count. Then we’ll know the real numbers from the election.
That would be a great idea! As I have long said, it should be law that in ALL elections, from School Board to President, primaries to general election, that there be a “None Of The Above” choice on every ballot.
IF you are one of those defeated by a NOTA selection, you are prohibited from running for any public office for the next ten years. That might be a way to de-rail the political careers of some of the worst candidates and give the voters better choices.
“Graham-Nordone was commissioner and agency head of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.”
That’s a niche commission with a budget of $90 million.
I’m sorry but the amount of underwhelming nonsense post-hoc justification propping up this candidate is a joke.
Anyone notice how butch Ditzy Darline looks? Maybe she shares the genes for repressed homosexuality with her dead faggot brother.
That possibility has crossed my mind, as well.