Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman advance to GOP Senate primary runoff in South Carolina - NBC News

Appointed Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman advanced to an Aug. 25 Republican Senate primary runoff in South Carolina, according to NBC News projections.
Graham, 62, was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster in July to fill the remaining term of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died July 11 following a cardiac arrest at his Capitol Hill home.
President Donald Trump encouraged Graham to run and endorsed her, but her failure to win outright raises questions about the influence of his backing, as GOP voters have rejected several Trump-favored candidates this year.
The crowded primary featured 10 Republican candidates, including Rep. Russell Fry and former Gov. Mark Sanford; Graham is the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate and has never previously held elected office.
Her limited political experience appeared to hurt her with some voters, with Lexington Republican Bob Howell saying he sympathized with her loss but did not think the seat should simply be handed to her.
The runoff winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a doctor, in November and is heavily favored in a state where no Democrat has won a Senate seat since Fritz Hollings' re-election in 1998.