Aiken County voters, along with Republicans across South Carolina, are participating in a special U.S. Senate primary runoff today, August 25, to select a nominee for the upcoming general election. This marks the fourth time since June that Republicans have gone to the polls to fill the vacancy left by the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.
The runoff features U.S. Senator Darline Graham and U.S. Representative Ralph Norman. Darline Graham was appointed to serve the remainder of her brother’s current term after his unexpected death on July 11 from an aortic tear. She placed first in the August 11 special primary, securing approximately 33% of the vote, but did not reach the majority needed to avoid a runoff. Ralph Norman, a five-term congressman who previously ran for governor and placed third in that primary, received about 25% of the vote in the special primary.
Darline Graham garnered strong support in central South Carolina, including the Columbia area, and the Lowcountry region, which encompasses Charleston. Her highest percentages were recorded in counties bordering Georgia. Norman’s strongest performance was in the state’s Piedmont and Upstate regions, including the Greenville area. U.S. Representative Russell Fry, who placed third in the special primary with about 20% of the vote, 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 in Myrtle Beach last Friday.
Greenville County, the state’s most populous, typically contributes the most votes in statewide Republican primaries. It has shown a tendency to vote against front-runners in recent primaries; Norman carried Greenville County in the gubernatorial primary, and it was one of only two counties Lindsey Graham lost in his final election. Democratic-leaning Richland and Charleston counties also contribute a significant number of votes in Republican primaries. Horry, Lexington, and Spartanburg counties are other large counties that heavily influence Republican primary outcomes. Spartanburg was the only other county Lindsey Graham lost in the June primary.
The winner of today’s runoff will advance to face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician. Lindsey Graham was reelected in 2020 with 54% of the vote, and Donald Trump carried South Carolina in 2024 with 58% of the vote.
Polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Voters who participated in the Democratic primary on June 9 are not eligible to vote in this 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. As of Friday, approximately 3.4 million voters were registered in South Carolina, where voters do not register by party. About 465,000 voters participated in the June 9 Republican U.S. Senate primary, and approximately 336,000 voters cast ballots in the August 11 special Republican U.S. Senate primary. About 19% of the votes in the August 11 special primary were cast early in-person or by mail. As of Friday, about 45,000 ballots had already been cast for today’s election. Most counties in South Carolina release early in-person and mail voting results in their first update of the night, typically before any Election Day in-person results.
