Darline Graham wins Republican primary runoff in South Carolina

Darline Graham wins Republican primary runoff in South Carolina

Graham will be party's candidate on the ballot in November

Darline Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, won the Republican primary runoff in South Carolina for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, according to U.S. media projections, in a triumph for U.S. President Donald Trump.

Graham, who was appointed to hold the Senate seat until the beginning of January following ​her brother's death on July 11, defeated Representative Ralph Norman and ​will run in November's election for a full, six-year Senate term.

Trump endorsed her candidacy and backed that up with large campaign contributions from his MAGA INC super PAC.

Rallying for her on Friday ​in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Trump placed the spotlight on himself and proclaimed, "I am on the ⁠ballot."

Lindsey Graham's sister appointed to fulfill remainder of his term in U.S. Senate

U.S. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham likely died after aorta rupture: medical examiner

Graham, 62, will face Democratic ⁠nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in the general election and ‌is expected to prevail easily in the deeply conservative state.

This primary was one of a series of tests of Trump's sway with voters in this year's midterm elections, as he tries to use his bully pulpit to prevent Democrats from wresting control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate from ⁠his Republican party.

But his record of endorsements this cycle has been mixed, with polls showing he continues to be weighed down by rising consumer prices and an unpopular war with Iran.

Trump's MAGA INC., spent $827,711 US in support of Graham, according to its filing on ‌Monday with the U.S. Federal Election Commission, in a rare instance of the president putting financial support behind his favoured candidate.

For her part, Graham used Friday's rally to try to recover from what has been cast as an earlier debate misstep when she said she was not knowledgeable about national security issues — the kind ​that helped define her brother’s career in the Senate.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham dead at 71

"Guilty as charged," Graham proclaimed at the rally.

Instead, she focused her remarks on domestic issues, including Trump's immigration ⁠clampdown and anti-abortion advocacy.

She had never held public office until her appointment to the Senate, having previously held positions ⁠advocating for persons with physical disabilities.

South Carolina has overwhelmingly embraced Trump in all three of his runs for president ⁠and ⁠is not likely to play a role in ​the battle for the control of Congress.

Norman, 73, a longtime real estate developer, has spent nearly a decade in the ​U.S. House. His defeat on Tuesday ⁠comes on the heels of an unsuccessful bid for governor.