Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) endorsed Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC) for her late brother’s open seat on Wednesday after she secured the top spot in the special Senate primary election.
Graham Nordone, the younger sister of Lindsey Graham, will now face Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) one-on-one in the primary runoff election on Aug. 25. She secured nearly 33% of the vote on Tuesday, roughly 8 points ahead of Norman.
Though she technically won the primary, Graham Nordone failed to clinch a decisive victory despite being backed by President Donald Trump.
Now, Scott is publicly lending his support to Graham Nordone as she seeks to run for a full term following her short-term appointment.
“If I were going to endorse in the South Carolina GOP Senate primary, I wanted to do so with confidence. After watching Darline Graham in the Senate and on the campaign trail, I’m confident she’s the real deal,” Scott posted on X Wednesday.
“Her first-place finish last night was remarkable, but not surprising,” he wrote. “She is a conservative stalwart, a hard worker, and represents our beloved state with class, humility, and dignity.”
Having an endorsement from Scott, the National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, is a big boost for Graham Nordone.
Scott supported the newly appointed senator’s Senate run before the primary, but he did not openly endorse her until now. Scott previously suggested she could permanently replace her older brother, who died unexpectedly from heart failure last month.
“I know she is making her brother proud, but Darline has already proven to be her own person: focused on pocketbook issues, defending our South Carolina values, and delivering for the people she represents. Her priorities are our priorities,” Scott said.
“I voted for Darline in yesterday’s primary, and I’ll vote for her again in the runoff,” he added. “I’m proud to endorse Darline Graham for the U.S. Senate, and I encourage South Carolina Republicans across our state to join me in voting for her in the runoff.”
DARLINE GRAHAM NORDONE, RALPH NORMAN ADVANCE TO RUNOFF IN SENATE RACE TO REPLACE LINDSEY GRAHAM
Meanwhile, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is backing Norman in the runoff election. In an X post Tuesday night, Mace said he is the “only candidate with 100% conservative voting record,” which suggests she thinks Graham Nordone is not fully conservative.
Mace previously ran against Norman for governor of South Carolina. In June, both lost the Republican primary to state Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson. The latter candidate won the runoff later that month.