South Carolina GOP Senate race for Lindsey Graham's seat tightens ahead of primary

Sen. Darline Graham Nordone was appointed by the governor of the South Carolina to serve the rest of her brother's term

Published: August 8, 2026 6:41pm

The Republican primary race for South Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat is tightening as voters prepare to head to the polls on Tuesday.

Recent surveys have shown different results, with Rep. Ralph Norman briefly leading one poll while Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, has led in two others.

An Emerson College poll of 500 likely Republican voters conducted in late July found Norman with 22% support, followed by Nordone at 19% and Rep. Russell Fry at 12%, while former Gov. Mark Sanford received 11%.

Other polling has been more favorable to Nordone. A Trafalgar Group survey put her at 27%, compared with 17.4% for both Norman and Fry and 15.1% for Sanford. A co/efficient poll released more recently showed Nordone with 30%, followed by Fry at 16%, Norman at 15% and Sanford at 9%.

South Carolina requires a candidate to win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. If no Republican reaches that threshold Tuesday, the top two candidates will meet again Aug. 25.

The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November.

With several candidates competing for the Republican nomination, the varying polls suggest the race remains fluid and turnout could play a decisive role in determining who advances.