South Carolina Republicans are heading to the polls today, August 25, for a special U.S. Senate primary runoff election. This marks the fourth time since June that Republicans in the state have voted to select a candidate for the fall general election ballot. The runoff will determine who replaces the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away unexpectedly on July 11 due to an aortic tear.
The two candidates vying for the Republican nomination are Darline Graham, Senator Graham’s sister, who was appointed to serve the remainder of her brother’s current term, and U.S. Representative Ralph Norman. Norman is a five-term congressman who previously ran for governor earlier this year, placing third in that primary.
In the August 11 special primary, Darline Graham secured approximately 33% of the vote, while Norman received about 25%. Neither candidate achieved the majority needed to avoid a runoff. U.S. Representative Russell Fry placed third with about 20% of the vote and has since endorsed Darline Graham. She also has the backing of Republican U.S. Senator Tim Scott and former President Donald Trump, who held a campaign rally with her last Friday in Myrtle Beach.
Darline Graham performed strongly across central South Carolina, including the Columbia area, and the Lowcountry region, which encompasses Charleston. Her highest percentages were recorded in counties along the Georgia border. Norman’s strongest support came from the state’s Piedmont and Upstate regions, including the Greenville area. Fry’s best performance was in the eight counties within the Pee Dee and Waccamaw regions that he represents in Congress.
Greenville County, the most populous in the state, typically contributes the most votes in statewide Republican primaries. It has shown a tendency to vote against front-runners in recent Republican primaries. Norman carried Greenville County in the gubernatorial primary, and it was one of only two counties Lindsey Graham lost in his final election. Spartanburg County was the other county Lindsey Graham lost in the June primary.
Democratic-leaning Richland and Charleston counties also have significant populations and contribute a notable number of votes in Republican primaries, though their influence is typically greater in Democratic contests. Horry and Lexington counties are also large and have a substantial impact on Republican primaries.
The winner of today’s runoff will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician who previously challenged Republican U.S. Representative Nancy Mace in the 1st Congressional District in 2022. Lindsey Graham was reelected in 2020 with 54% of the vote, and former President Trump carried South Carolina in 2024 with 58% of the vote.
Polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Voters who participated in the June 9 Democratic primary are not eligible to vote in today’s special Republican primary runoff. Only Republican primary voters or registered voters who did not participate in any party’s primary on June 9 may cast ballots. South Carolina does not register voters by party. As of last Friday, approximately 3.4 million voters were registered in the state.
About 465,000 voters participated in the June 9 Republican U.S. Senate primary, and about 336,000 voters cast ballots in the August 11 special Republican U.S. Senate primary. Approximately 19% of the votes in the August 11 special primary were cast early in-person or by mail. As of last Friday, about 45,000 ballots had already been cast for today’s election. Most of South Carolina’s 46 counties typically release early and mail-in voting results in their first update of the night, often before any Election Day in-person results.
