Republicans are increasingly alarmed by Darline Graham’s Senate campaign, with some party figures fearing that the seat once held by her late brother, Lindsey, could ultimately go to the Democrats.
Donald Trump personally selected Darline to succeed her brother after Lindsey died in July. The former president also urged her to seek the Republican nomination for a full term, a challenge she accepted.
But questions have quickly emerged about Graham’s political experience and commitment to the race. In one interview, she joked that she was going “to choke Lindsey” for putting her in the position of running.
The campaign took a dramatic turn this week when a new poll showed Graham tied with Democratic candidate Annie Andrews. The result prompted Trump to stage another event on her behalf in a state he carried by 18 points only two years ago.
A Wall Street Journal report has now added to the turmoil. Republican sources cited by the newspaper blamed Trump for pushing Graham into the race and said the party “could have found a better candidate.”
Ralph Norman, who was defeated by Graham in the Republican primary, said his entire family—despite being Republican—planned to withhold its support from her.
“The reason he’s here is she’s lagging in the polls. He’s doing it because she is in trouble,” Norman said.
“He could be in other states like Ohio or Texas that are in trouble, but he’s in Rock Hill, South Carolina.”
The Republican Party is increasingly alarmed by Darline Graham’s Senate campaign, with some GOP figures worried that the seat held by her late brother, Lindsey, could fall to Democrats
Donald Trump selected Darline Graham to replace her brother after Lindsey died in July and later encouraged her to seek the nomination for a full Senate term, which she accepted
Graham remains a reluctant, inexperienced candidate who has struggled to raise money and lacks name recognition among political insiders in her home state.
She has attributed those difficulties to the demands of settling into her new Senate role, saying she has been unable to leave Washington to campaign effectively.
Andrews, a pediatrician and unsuccessful congressional candidate, has attacked Graham as a Washington insider and criticized her support for data centers.
“Even though we’re a solid red state, it’s almost like she had an advantage,” Graham said.
Sources told the Wall Street Journal that Graham has become more involved in debate preparation and campaign appearances following a difficult first outing, during which she said, “national security is not my thing.”
Trump has also sought to bolster her campaign by portraying Andrews as a social-issues extremist, focusing in particular on her alleged support for transgender children. He used the offensive nickname “Trannie Annie” to attack her.
Despite Graham’s recent efforts to improve her campaign, Norman remains skeptical and says she still has to demonstrate that she deserves Republican support.
“You have to earn the vote. She hasn’t done that,” Norman said, while declining to reveal whether he voted for Graham.
A new poll showing Darline Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews tied has shaken the race and prompted Trump to hold another campaign event for Graham in a state he won by 18 points two years ago
Ralph Norman, who lost to Graham in the Republican primary, said his entire Republican family plans to refuse to vote for her
‘The campaign has been about trying to prop up a candidate.’
South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the US Senate since 1998, when Fritz Hollings of Charleston won his final term, serving until 2005.
Trump, who became a close friend of Lindsey’s and even spoke at his funeral, has become personally invested in the race, holding multiple rallies for Darline.
Trump has accused Andrews of backing ‘Transgender for Everyone, Open Borders, Defunding the Police, High Taxes, a Weak Military,’ and efforts to strip Americans of their guns.
‘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,’ Trump declared in a Truth Social post last month.
Andrews fired back at the time by steering the fight toward kitchen-table issues and her experience as a mother and pediatrician.
One of the biggest criticisms against Darline has been a lack of policy chops.
Despite supporting her late brother’s career for years, Darline had not previously held elected office.
When Darline took the stage next to Trump at a rally in Pendleton, South Carolina, last week, she spoke for less than two minutes and laid praise on the president.
At the rally, Darline called him ‘one of Lindsey’s greatest friends,’ adding that Trump ‘will always be a part of the Graham family.’
Last month, the GOP allocated an additional $5 million in South Carolina to support Darline.
The influx of cash was being sent as an ‘insurance policy,’ per Axios, to keep a seat in Republicans’ hands that Lindsey had always won by more than 10 percent.