Republican lawmaker Ralph Norman to join race to succeed Lindsey Graham in South Carolina

Ralph Norman on Capitol Hill in Washington DC on 13 July 2026. Photograph: Al Drago/Reuters View image in fullscreen Ralph Norman on Capitol Hill in Washington DC on 13 July 2026. Photograph: Al Drago/Reuters Republican lawmaker Ralph Norman to join race to succeed Lindsey Graham in South Carolina Congressman to run for seat despite Donald Trump backing Graham’s sister Darline, should she choose to run Republican representative Ralph Norman, ⁠of South Carolina , has announced he will join the race to succeed the late senator Lindsey Graham, despite Donald Trump backing Graham’s sister, Darline, should she choose to run. Announcing the launch of his bid on Saturday, Norman wrote on X: “I’m running to represent the people of South Carolina in the US Senate because we need a fighter who will stand with President Trump and carry on Lindsey Graham’s legacy!” He pointedly added: “I’ve spent years fighting for the Palmetto State in the state house, in Congress, and now I want to get the SAVE America Act passed in the Senate!” Further cementing Trump’s restrictive voting bill – which Trump has deemed his legislative priority – and efforts to eliminate the filibuster as central to his campaign, Norman told Fox host Kayleigh McEnany on Saturday: “I’ll be throwing my hat into the ring … Day one, Kayleigh, I will be laser-focused on passing President Trump’s ‘America first’ [agenda]. And it starts with the Save America Act. We’ll nuke the filibuster. And I will be … a vocal vote and a supporter to make this happen.” But his announcement ‌comes after Trump already said on Friday that he had asked ‌Darline Graham to run for the position in a special GOP primary on 11 August. A run-off will be held on 25 August, if necessary. The winner of the GOP nomination will face off against Democrat Annie Andrews in the November midterms. “Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Norman told CNN he had unsuccessfully sought Trump’s support, but added that the president’s decision to endorse Graham did not deter him from entering the race. “I wanted [Trump’s] blessing to run and get his support. He decided to go with Darline, who’s a nice person, and he decided to go with her. And so I respect that,” Norman said. “But it doesn’t deter my plans. I’m in this to win.” Florida senators Rick Scott and Utah senator Mike Lee endorsed Norman’s bid for the Senate on Friday, before he made his run official. At Trump’s direction, Darline, 62, was tapped by South Carolina governor Henry McMaster and then sworn in on Tuesday to fill her late brother’s Senate seat on an interim ​basis, only three days after his death. It marked the first time a sibling has replaced a senator who died in office, and the first woman who has represented South