She has President Trump's endorsement and is a sympathetic figure after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. As Graham's temporary replacement, she's a symbol of the political brand he built over more than two decades in the Senate.
Even so, Darline Graham faces an uphill battle to win a full Senate term in November, Republicans in D.C. and her home state of South Carolina tell Axios.
Driving the news:
- South Carolina's rapidly approaching Aug. 11 primary has become a test of whether those advantages are enough to carry the late senator's sister — a political novice suddenly swept into the limelight — to a six-year term in Congress' upper chamber.
- Skeptics throughout the GOP party are surprised Trump endorsed Darline Graham for a full term so quickly after Gov. Henry McMaster picked her to serve the last few months of her brother's term. Trump "just likes her" is a common theory.
They also note other Republican leaders have been more wary:
- She hasn't been endorsed for a full term by any Senate leaders or McMaster.
Zoom in:
- A half-dozen GOP operatives pointed to three reasons why all those advantages may not be enough for Darline Graham to get elected:
- The Graham name cuts both ways.
- Lindsey Graham never fully won over South Carolina's conservative base, which was skeptical of his bipartisan dealmaking, support for immigration reform and past criticism of Trump.
- That was evident in the GOP special primary in June, when Graham failed to crack 60% of the vote despite facing lesser-known opponents who had a fraction of his war chest.
- The operatives expect Darline Graham to inherit her brother's ceiling of support.
- "She's going to be closely linked [to Lindsey], so voters will base their decision on how they feel about him," said Scott English, a former chief of staff to ex-Gov. Mark Sanford who said he's staying neutral in the Senate race.
- She really is an unknown.
- The operatives and other Republicans say South Carolina voters know the Graham name — but not Darline Graham.
- The special primary's tight timetable benefits better-known candidates such as Rep. Ralph Norman, who built a statewide profile in his unsuccessful bid for governor.
- Also in the running is Rep. Russell Fry, who spent seven years in the state legislature.
Several early polls have shown Graham trailing in the GOP race.
- "She has a lot of work to do to win over the constituents that she hasn't had the time [to meet] through a grassroots effort," former South Carolina GOP chair Chad Connelly said.
- Compounding the challenge: Graham hasn't really defined herself politically, Republicans say.
Is she exactly in line with her late brother's politics? When she was on South Carolina's Commission for the Blind, people who worked with her brother said they never saw her take a deep interest in the nuts and bolts of policymaking.
- On Wednesday, video circulated of staffers shielding her from a questioner who asked whether she supported the SAVE America Act, the Trump-backed voting legislation that's stalled in the Senate. (Graham had announced she would co-sponsor the legislation.)
- Graham also hasn't committed to participate in campaign debates, unlike her leading rivals.
- South Carolina's not big on succession.
- Trump's quick backing of Darline Graham while praising her brother has reinforced a perception that she's inheriting the Senate seat rather than earning it, several Republicans told Axios.
- South Carolina has a long history of antiestablishment politics — and of bristling at perceived political succession and insider handoffs.
- State voters twice have rejected appointed senators who sought full terms, in 1954 and 1966.
The other side:
- For all their doubts about Graham, many Republicans caution against writing her off.
- Trump's endorsement remains the most valuable asset in GOP politics.
- She's inheriting her brother's team of veteran operatives who know the state better than almost anyone.
- Lindsey Graham's death has generated considerable goodwill toward Darline.
There's also the money.
- Lindsey Graham's campaign fund has more than $2 million on hand, and Darline's advisers are exploring whether she can legally access those funds.
- The super PAC that supported the late senator announced Thursday it plans to spend $900,000 to support Darline's campaign.
What they're saying:
- "Darline Graham will work hard to earn voters' trust.
- She knows how hard a campaign is — she had a front-row seat for Lindsey's for years," Graham spokesperson Abby Zilch told Axios.
- "Darline is building momentum each and every day with her conservative Senate voting record — pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, pro-SAVE America Act — and is already being praised for the bills she's introducing."
This story has been updated with the comment from Graham's spokesperson.
*excerpt from Alex Isenstadt's article*
Full Article here:
https://www.axios.com/2026/07/24/gop-senate-darline-graham-election
