Darline Graham will get a crash course in national politics after cruising to victory Tuesday night, claiming the Senate seat vacated by her late brother, South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham.
The political novice – who admitted in a debate with her primary challenger, five-term lawmaker Rep. Ralph Norman, that she wasn’t “that informed on national security,” and who told Fox News that she doesn’t “speak politician” — was largely elevated to victory by President Donald Trump.
Trump put out all the stops for Graham, 62, who works with people with disabilities. His super PAC poured more than $800,000 into her campaign, according to The Hill. He also held a rally the day of the election and pressured Rep. Russell Fry, who many thought Trump would endorse in the race, to throw his weight behind his chosen candidate, according to the New York Times.
Though the tight race showed that Trump still maintains a firm grip on the Republican party, at least in the South, he was laser-focused on a part of the country that was always expected to stay red. Graham is heavily favored to beat Democrat Annie Andrews in November, according to Axios. The state has not seen a Democrat win a U.S. Senate election since 1998.
Graham has been serving out the remainder of her brother’s term, making her South Carolina’s first female senator. She will serve in the Senate through at least 2032.
