South Carolina GOP Senate primary heads to a runoff

Sen.

Darline Graham and Rep.

Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) advanced Tuesday to a runoff in South Carolina's crowded Republican Senate primary, per the AP, extending the fight to succeed the late Sen.

Lindsey Graham .

Why it matters: The Aug.

25 runoff will almost certainly determine South Carolina's next senator.

Graham's abbreviated campaign has relied on the immediate advantages of incumbency, President Trump's support and one of the most recognizable names in South Carolina politics.

Norman has argued that Republican voters should judge candidates by their records, presenting himself as a proven conservative rather than a first-time candidate elevated by a famous name.

The eventual Republican nominee will be heavily favored against Democrat Annie Andrews in November in one of the nation's most reliably Republican states.

Democrats have not won a U.S.

Senate election there since 1998.

Driving the news: No candidate won the majority required to secure the Republican nomination outright, according to AP.

The big picture: The result narrows a sprawling contest to a head-to-head fight among the race's three dominant forces.

Graham, 62, has cast herself as a political outsider who can continue her brother's constituent-focused work while serving as a reliable vote for Trump's agenda.