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by MARK POWELL
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Ever watched one of those lengthy fireworks displays that was decidedly ho-hum until all of a sudden the skies just erupted in spectacular flourish of light and sound?
Then you know exactly what Tuesday night’s GOP Senate runoff debate was like.
For one crowded hour on Tuesday evening (August 18, 2026), interim U.S. senator Darline Graham Nordone and fifth district congressman Ralph Norman faced off on the stage of the Newberry Opera House. It was their only scheduled encounter before next week’s special Republican runoff election – and it took place just hours before the start of early voting.
The stakes are high, as the winner of this head-to-head contest will replace Nordone’s brother, the late U.S. senator Lindsey Graham, as the Republican nominee in November’s general election. Winning this runoff is essentially punching one’s ticket to Washington, D.C., as no Democrat has won a top-of-the-ticket statewide race since 1998.
Graham was the GOP nominee for another six-year term in office, but he died suddenly last month – sparking this special election.
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Two very different candidates showed up from their last debate together two weeks ago. Norman appeared much more engaged and energized than he did in any previous debate this year – including those encounters held during his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in June. Relaxed and confident, the Rock Hill real estate developer even displayed moments of humor – including a joke about his age during his introduction.
“I’ve been married to the same woman for 51 years, have four children, 17 grandchildren – and I turned 40 back in June,” the 73-year-old said.
The opposite was true for Nordone. Though she had moments when she sparkled during her first debate two weeks ago, on the Newberry stage she came off as demurely tentative – a candidate playing beyond her depth. Nordone had a yellow legal pad on her lectern that she disconcertingly — and repeatedly — scanned all night, as if searching for talking points.
For much of the debate, the pages of the yellow pad flipped over the front of her lectern – a sign that Nordone, to quote the Irish rockers in U2, still hadn’t found what she was looking for.
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Who did this ? pic.twitter.com/seJ1NNPXzE
— Ralph Norman Fan (@RalphNormanFan) August 19, 2026
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In one galling instance, Nordone simply threw in the towel in response to a question about America’s national security interests.
“Senator, are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States – if so, why?” Nordone was asked by moderator Greta Van Susteren.
“Um, I’m sorry. Could you repeat the question?” Nordone asked.
Even after being asked the question twice, Nordone couldn’t summon a rational response.
“I’m just going to be honest here,” she said. “I’m not on national security that, I’m not that informed on national security, so… but I do support the military… I’m not a polished politician up here. I – national security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.”
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Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) is asked at #SCSen debate about Taiwan and the South China Sea: "I’m just going to be honest here; I’m not that informed on national security, so — but I do support the military. My brother was in the Air Force for 33 years…I'm not a polished… pic.twitter.com/c6WsSjWz6C
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 19, 2026
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Nordone’s flub drew all sorts of jeers, including one from fellow neoconservative Nikki Haley.
“Lindsey Graham was well informed on the United States’ national security,” Haley wrote on X. “Darline Graham admits she’s not. This is not something you inherit. And it’s critical in the U.S. Senate.”
Throughout the evening, Norman’s supporters in the audience easily won the enthusiasm battle – cheering on their candidate with the exuberance of pro wrestlers on steroids. The response from Nordone’s backers was mostly polite and restrained.
With an hour to fill and only two candidates on the stage, Tuesday night’s debate covered a wide array of topics. However, the issues addressed – and the answers given – were pure Republican pablum.
Norman professed America’s undying love for Israel…
“Israel, if you go there, that’s God’s country,” he said. “If you go over there, it changes you. It just does. So, yes, we will maintain a great relationship with them, and we support them.”
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RELATED | RALPH NORMAN FOR U.S. SENATE
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Nordone vowed to protect Social Security…
“Social Security was put in place to protect our elderly from living in poverty,” she said. “So, we have to keep Social Security. Lindsay and I relied on Social Security when our parents died when we were younger. So Social Security is important.”
Norman got in one of the best lines of the evening in response to a question about former Donald Trump/Joe Biden Covid czar Anthony Fauci.
“He ought to be in an orange jumpsuit,” Norman said. “I mean, bottom line… If you listen to the Senate hearings, him taking the Fifth, he killed a million people. So, yes, I hope they’ll retry him and put him in jail. He has no remorse. That’s the problem with this man. The ego, the books, the money he made is outlandish, and when he was even asked to apologize, he didn’t have the decency to do that.”
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RALPH NORMAN: Dr. Fauci should be in an orange jumpsuit. I was the only Congressman to stand with Frontline Doctors on the steps of the Supreme Court opposing the COVID lockdowns!
— Ralph Norman Fan (@RalphNormanFan) August 18, 2026
??? pic.twitter.com/iwRAqYWDZo
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After looking lost earlier in the debate, Nordone found her footing when discussing the threat posed to our nation by China.
“I think China is destroying our businesses,” she said. “President Trump has been the strongest president we’ve had against China. It’s kind of scary. They have bought up too much farmland. They were interfering with our food supply chain. As a national security threat. And they’re becoming leaders in the AI industry. So, we cannot let China win. We have to continue to fight against China.”
While there was considerable agreement on many issues, the candidates didn’t refrain from taking swipes at each other – although Nordone misfired badly when she falsely accused him of voting for a gasoline tax hike (Norman wasn’t even in the S.C. House at the time the tax hike passed).
She dinged Norman time after time, though, attacking him for not supporting Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill (after initially opposing it, he eventually voted for a revised version), for his alleged inactivity in response to the Silfab Solar controversy in Rock Hill (Norman insisted it was a state issue), and claiming he once hired illegal immigrants (which he dismissed as an old “Democrat talking line” from years ago).
“It’s silly season,” Norman said in brushing off accusations.
Norman landed some jabs of his own – including a closing argument that framed his opponent’s candidacy as an attempted Democrat takeover of the GOP.
“It’s interesting that my opponent mentions Democrats,” Norman said during his closing remarks. “They’re the ones that are funding her campaign, or the Democrat PACs.”
“I’m not their favorite… I’m not their candidate,” Norman added, turning to Nordone. “You are. The money they’re putting in this race ought to be alarming for every American. Every ad that you see, trying to tear me down, is paid for by a Democrat donor. I got $2 million going against me this next week. I gladly take that. But it’s coming from Democrats who are supporting her candidacy for some reason. It’s very alarming.”
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Democrat Socialists are trying to take over America, and THEIR DONORS are teaming up with the establishment to get my opponent across the finish line — we can’t let that happen. I’m the ONLY PROVEN CONSERVATIVE in this race, and I promise to put YOU FIRST! pic.twitter.com/wQV5zCCYbQ
— Ralph Norman (@RalphNorman) August 19, 2026
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For her part, Nordone came alive during her closing remarks- delivering a coup de grace she had evidently been saving all night.
“I’d rather be out in South Carolina meeting the voters than here on this stage with you, but the fact is, I’ve done more in twenty days than you have done in twenty years,” she said, addressing her rival. “I did a lot of research to try to find out exactly what you have done. You named a post office. So, good job. That’s all I can find out that you’ve done. And we have spent $1.7 million on your salary for the past 10 years, and you named a post office. So yeah, I’ve done, again, more than that in 20 days.”
Nordone also mocked Norman for flipping from the governor’s race to the U.S. Senate campaign.
“I think you’re confused, because I don’t know if you want to be in South Carolina or Washington, because you said you wanted to go to Washington to clean up the swamp, then you wanted to come back to South Carolina to run for governor,” she said. “Now you want to go back to Washington again to clean up the swamp.”
And with that, the cameras went dark as Norman flashed his well-practiced political smile and Nordone glowered at him with an occasional side glance.
Early voting begins today and runs through this Friday, with the runoff itself held next Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews, Libertarian Kasie Whitener, Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett and several other independent candidates in the November 3, 2026 general election.
BANNER VIA: COLEN LINDELL/FACEBOOK
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.
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