NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n A powerful name and an endorsement from President Donald Trump proved more than enough to score an unlikely candidate a win in the latest runoff election in South Carolina.<\/p>\n Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., toppled Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in a whirlwind race to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, as the GOP nominee for the Senate after his sudden death in July.<\/p>\n Just a little over a month after his death at 71 years old, South Carolinians opted to stick with a familiar name in Graham, who despite having little political experience prior to her appointment to finish out the remainder of her brother\u2019s term, scored Trump\u2019s coveted endorsement.<\/p>\n DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER\u2019S SENATE SEAT<\/strong><\/p>\n Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., listens to a question at a campaign event at Holt Bros BBQ in Florence, S.C., on Aug. 19, 2026.<\/span> (Sean Rayford\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Though her appointment by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was viewed as temporary, Trump pushed her to run beyond the five months left in her brother\u2019s term.<\/p>\n “Darline is somebody I’ve known for a long time,” Trump said during a rally for her in Myrtle Beach last week. “I asked her to do this. I said, \u2018Darline, you got to do it,\u2019 because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her.”<\/p>\n “So I’ve known her through Lindsey \u2014 I’ve known her for so long,” he continued. “I think Lindsey respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me.”<\/p>\n LINDSEY GRAHAM\u2019S SISTER ADMITS SHE\u2019S \u2018NOT THAT INFORMED ON NATIONAL SECURITY\u2019 WHILE SEEKING FULL SENATE TERM<\/strong><\/p>\n And Trump sent in last-minute financial reinforcements to help her, following a gaffe during her final debate with Norman when she admitted that she had little knowledge of the strategic importance of Taiwan.<\/p>\n Graham has styled herself as a much different politician than her brother, focused more on domestic issues than foreign.<\/p>\n Trump’s mammoth, $400 million campaign war chest through MAGA Inc., which has largely been untapped this cycle despite a handful of Senate races shifting in power dynamics across the country, dumped over $800,000 into a phone campaign in support of Graham over the weekend, according to campaign finance records.<\/p>\n While Graham styled herself as a more home front than abroad focused candidate, she made one thing clear through debates and limited campaign time: a vote for her was a vote for the Trump agenda.<\/p>\n RALPH NORMAN SUGGESTS SPECIAL GOP PRIMARY RUNOFF RIVAL DARLINE GRAHAM IS THE ESTABLISHMENT’S CHOSEN CANDIDATE<\/strong><\/p>\n President Donald Trump leaves the stage after speaking at a campaign rally with Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., on Aug. 21, 2026, in Myrtle Beach, S.C.<\/span> (Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n She targeted Norman for bucking House Republican leadership, and, at times, Trump, but noted, “We already have enough problem Democrats, we don\u2019t need a problem Republican.”<\/p>\n And though she\u2019s only been in the Senate for a handful of weeks, Graham argued to voters that she\u2019d done more than Norman had in his entire congressional career, touting the passage of the long-awaited bipartisan Russia sanctions package initially pushed by her brother, but at times slowed by the White House.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/p>\n “I was in Washington for only two weeks before I passed the Russia and Iran Sanctions Act through the Senate,” Graham said. “I then passed the deciding vote to confirm President Trump’s attorney general, Todd Blanche.”<\/p>\n “Simply put, I’ve done more in 20 days than Ralph Norman has done in 20 years.”<\/p>\n Despite the bruising battle between Norman and Graham, Norman said he would be throwing his support behind her following his loss Tuesday, and planned to call Graham to say congratulations.<\/p>\n “As I said earlier, I’m going to support the Republican. I’m not supporting a Democrat. So, I will support her \u2013 Darline \u2013 as best I can,” Norman said during his concession speech Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Sen.](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/darline-graham-florence-south-carolina.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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