Darline Graham advances to runoff in South Carolina Senate primary

Interim Senator Darline Graham advanced to an Aug. 25 runoff in South Carolina's special Republican Senate primary, according to US media projections Tuesday, as she sought to keep the seat left vacant by the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Graham was one of 10 Republicans competing in Tuesday’s special primary after Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her in July to fill the vacancy created by her brother’s death. Lindsey Graham had already secured the Republican nomination for a full Senate term before he died.

With more than a third of the expected ballots counted, Graham was receiving about 33% of the vote, while Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman were each at about 23%, NBC News reported.

President Donald Trump encouraged Graham to enter the race and endorsed her campaign.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as he returned from Ohio, Trump said: “She just called me and thanked me for the endorsement, and it's great that she's doing so well. Very good woman. She's got good genetics, and she’s a real professional.”

“I’m going to call her right now,” he added.

The winner of the Republican runoff will face Democrat Annie Andrews, a physician who won her party's primary in June.