Darline Graham wins South Carolina GOP nomination to replace her late brother in US Senate – US politics live

Darline Graham has won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina, a victory that places her on the general election ballot to succeed her late brother, Lindsey Graham. The political novice secured the nomination after defeating U.S. Representative Ralph Norman in a special Republican primary runoff.

Graham's win was bolstered by an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who had recommended her appointment to fill her brother's vacant Senate term. Trump actively encouraged her to run for the full term, intervening in a competitive Republican scramble. At a rally, Trump urged supporters to vote for Graham as if he were on the ballot himself. Trump's Maga Inc Super Pac reportedly spent over $800,000 to support her campaign.

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The critics say I shouldn’t run for the Senate. They say I’m not a politician. You know what I say? Guilty as charged.

With nearly all ballots counted, Graham garnered 52.4% of the vote, surpassing Norman's 47.6%. Graham, a former head of South Carolina’s Commission for the Blind, embraced her lack of traditional political experience, telling a rally audience, “The critics say I shouldn’t run for the Senate. They say I’m not a politician. You know what I say? Guilty as charged.”

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What I really want you to do is pretend – please – that I’m on the ballot. Just come and vote.

Graham is set to face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician from the Charleston area, in the November general election. Andrews faces significant historical headwinds, as the last Democrat to win a statewide race in South Carolina was state superintendent Jim Rex in 2006.

In other U.S. political developments, the Supreme Court lifted one of two injunctions blocking the Trump administration's efforts to restrict mail-in voting. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson sharply dissented, warning the decision injects chaos into the upcoming midterm elections. The NAACP criticized the move, suggesting Republicans aim to suppress votes due to anticipated unpopularity. Additionally, the Trump administration is reportedly preparing to revoke visas for up to 200,000 asylum applicants, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an "unprecedented" sanctions campaign against Iran.

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needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections