Darline Graham scored a heavyweight endorsement Wednesday as U.S. Sen. Tim Scott urged South Carolina Republicans to unite behind her in the GOP Senate runoff.
Scott, South Carolina’s senior senator and chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, backed Graham one day after she finished first in the crowded primary. President Donald Trump endorsed her early in the campaign.
“I voted for Darline in yesterday’s primary, and I’ll vote for her again in the runoff,” Scott said in a social media post. “I’m proud to endorse Darline Graham for the U.S. Senate, and I encourage South Carolina Republicans across our state to join me in voting for her in the runoff.”
Graham will face Rep. Ralph Norman in a two-week dash to lock down the nomination. Both candidates are now scrambling to win over Republicans who supported their defeated rivals.
That battle could prove decisive. Attorney General Alan Wilson consolidated support from former opponents earlier this summer before defeating Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the Republican gubernatorial runoff.
Rep. Russell Fry congratulated Graham and Norman while conceding Tuesday night but declined to endorse either candidate.
Former Gov. Mark Sanford also held back during an interview with a local television station, though he left open the possibility of endorsing before the runoff.
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Norman, meanwhile, quickly landed the support of businessman Mark Lynch, who competed in Tuesday’s primary and previously ran against then-Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Thank you, President Trump. Your support and endorsement mean the world to me. pic.twitter.com/FF1mjt6C4Y
— Darline Graham (@DarlineGrahamSC) August 10, 2026
Lynch spokesperson Noel Fritsch said Norman earned the endorsement because he is “the only one capable of or interested in draining the swamp.”
Scott waited until after the primary to make his support public, though he told POLITICO earlier this month that Graham “will win” the race.
“If I were going to endorse in the South Carolina GOP Senate primary, I wanted to do so with confidence,” Scott said in his Wednesday morning post. “After watching Darline Graham in the Senate and on the campaign trail, I’m confident she’s the real deal.”
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