South Carolinians headed back to the polls on August 11 for a special primary to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the passing of long-time U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in July. With 10 Republican candidates on the ballot, no one reached the majority needed to win outright, sending the race to a runoff.
Sen. Darline Graham, Senator Graham’s sister and the appointed incumbent, led the field with 32.7% of the vote (109,582 votes). Rep. Ralph Norman finished second with 24.6% (82,523 votes), narrowly edging out Rep. Russell Fry, who took 19.6% (65,732 votes). Former Gov. Mark Sanford and businessman Mark Lynch rounded out the rest of the field but did not advance.
Because no candidate cleared 50% of the vote, Graham and Norman will meet in a runoff on Tuesday, August 25 to determine the Republican nominee. Early voting will conclude later today, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. The winner of the runoff becomes the Republican nominee and advances to face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in the November general election.
Looking ahead, November 3 will bring one of the fuller ballots the Lowcountry has seen in some time. Alongside the U.S. Senate race, voters will also determine who will succeed Governor Henry McMaster, deciding between Republican candidate Alan Wilson and Democratic candidate Jermaine Johnson. Another notable race for the region includes South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, which has boiled down to Jenny Honeycutt (R) and Nancy LaCore (D), along with every seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
If you have any questions about this year’s state-wide races or would like more information on your specific district’s candidates, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or our team.
