Trump-led GOP intensifies support for Graham in volatile South Carolina race
by Seth McLaughlin · The Washington TimesPresident Trump and national Republicans are ramping up their push in the South Carolina Senate race.
Mr. Trump took to Truth Social this week to praise Sen. Darline Graham, the GOP nominee and sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, and drew headlines for dubbing her Democratic rival as Annie “Trannie” Andrews.
The post landed as Mr. Trump prepares to head to South Carolina this month to shore up support for Ms. Graham.
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At the same time, the Senate Leadership Fund, the campaign arm for the Senate GOP, is getting involved, putting $5 million into the race, which political handicappers still see as a likely Republican hold, given the state’s partisan lean.
The seat would normally be a shoo‑in for Republicans, but this contest has been anything but typical.
Lindsey Graham, a four-term incumbent and Trump ally, won the multicandidate June GOP primary, then died weeks later from an aortic dissection, setting off a scramble to replace him.
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Ms. Graham, who had never held public office, to the seat. She went on to beat Rep. Ralph Norman in a bitter August GOP primary runoff after Mr. Trump threw his political weight behind her.
He held a rally for her in Myrtle Beach and a tele‑rally before the runoff. His allied super PAC made a late $830,000 investment to boost her bid.
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Some Norman supporters didn’t like the president’s involvement or how the whole process played out. That has fueled a write‑in campaign for Mr. Norman, which he has disavowed.
Some Republicans worry the effort could help Ms. Andrews, a pediatrician. They also fear Libertarian candidate Kasie Whitener could peel away Republicans frustrated by the cost of living and the Iran war, which has driven up prices at the pump.
With that as a backdrop, Mr. Trump weighed in this week, telling his supporters on social media that “Annie ‘Trannie’ Andrews is running against our wonderful Darline Graham for the Senate in South Carolina.”
“Darline is a high quality person, maybe the highest, and Annie Trannie is not, in particular, as it pertains to representing the values of the great people of South Carolina,” he added, warning Ms. Andrews is pro‑transgender and soft on crime and immigration. “Trannie is not for South Carolina, and South Carolina must show, in the upcoming Election, that it is not for her. Vote for Darline Graham — she has my complete and total endorsement, and will not let you down!”
The Cook Political Report shifted the race from solid Republican to likely Republican late last month.
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Still, the report says South Carolina’s political terrain heavily favors the GOP. The state routinely delivers double‑digit wins for Republican candidates, and even competitive Democrats often struggle to climb out of the mid‑40s.
Mr. Trump’s endorsement, national GOP money and the party’s voter loyalty give Ms. Graham a strong structural edge, even as the Norman write-in campaign and frustration over the cost of living add some unpredictability to the final stretch toward Nov. 3.
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Seth McLaughlin
smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com
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