Darline Graham Nordone Wins Runoff in South Carolina’s Special GOP Senate Primary

Sen.

Darline Graham (R, S.C.) speaks during a campaign event following her win, at the Willoughby, Humphrey & D'Antonio Law Firm in Columbia, S.C., on Aug.

25, 2026. —Megan Varner—Getty Images South Carolina Republicans voted to try to keep one of the state’s U.S.

Senate seats in the Graham family, as Darline Graham Nordone , who was appointed to fill it temporarily, has won the runoff for the special Republican primary election to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham on the ballot in the November general election.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:01 p.m.

ET, as Nordone led with about 52.5% of the vote.

Nordone said in a speech after securing the nomination that she has mixed emotions about her primary victory and that she misses her brother.

“There is still a big hole in my heart,” Nordone told supporters at a rally, “but I know he’s looking down right now very proud of everyone in this room.” She then added that her nomination is merely “the starting line for an even bigger fight which lies ahead.” Nordone will next face off against the Democratic candidate Annie Andrews, a pediatrician who won her primary in June.

The upper chamber seat, though, is unlikely to flip in Democrats’ favor; the Cook Political Report rates the race as “Solid Republican.” In June, Graham won the Republican primary race to compete for his fifth term as Senator, but after his death the following month, a special primary election was called for Aug.

11.

While Nordone, who was appointed by South Carolina’s Governor to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term, earned the highest share of the vote on Aug.

11, she fell short of the majority she needed to win the race, triggering the runoff.

Nordone earned nearly 33% of the vote on Aug.

11, while her opponent, U.S.