Graham, who was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster to fill her brother’s seat temporarily in July, now becomes the heavy favorite for the November general election in the deep-red state. The victory is a significant win for Trump, who poured substantial political and financial capital into the race after personally urging Graham to run for a full term.
Trump held a rare in-person rally for Graham in Myrtle Beach last week, telling voters to “pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot.” His super PAC, MAGA Inc., spent $827,000 on text messages and phone calls for Graham in the final days—one of the largest expenditures the group has made this cycle.
“If Darline does come up short, it would be just a massive, massive embarrassment to the White House and to the president. Just an utter rejection,” Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett said before the vote. Instead, Trump’s gamble paid off, reinforcing his ability to elevate an unknown candidate to victory.
Graham had never held or sought public office before her appointment, leading opponents to question her readiness. But Trump’s endorsement and the enthusiastic support of the GOP base proved decisive. One national Republican operative, granted anonymity to speak candidly, noted that Graham “wouldn't even be in this place if she didn't have [Trump’s support]. The outside help she's had has kind of made this competitive.”
The race was widely viewed as a test of Trump’s political clout, especially amid slipping approval ratings and recent endorsement setbacks. Tuesday’s runoff was marked by unusually high turnout for a summer special election, signaling strong voter engagement on both sides.