All articles tagged with #senate runoff
Darline Graham, a political newcomer appointed to the Senate after her brother Lindsey Graham’s death, won South Carolina’s GOP Senate runoff with strong Trump backing, securing the Republican nomination and a likely November victory; she defeated Norman, a nine-year congressman and occasional Trump critic on spending, whose campaign suffered from solar-industry opposition and questions about her inexperience.
Sen. Tim Scott praised Darline Graham—Lindsey Graham’s sister and a longtime SC bureaucrat appointed to fill the late senator’s term—for being “the real deal” as she campaigns for the Aug. 25 GOP Senate runoff in South Carolina. Graham won a crowded Aug. 11 special primary with 33% and will face Rep. Ralph Norman in the runoff. Trump backs Graham, and the race has been shaped by issues raised about national security during a debate where she admitted it isn’t her strong suit but expressed support for the military.
In South Carolina's Senate runoff to fill Lindsey Graham's seat, Darline Graham leans on a Trump-backed push and a post-debate remark—“national security is not my thing”—as a strategic move to appear relatable and distinguish herself from opponent Ralph Norman, while outside groups flood the race with spending and endorsements shift.
Former President Donald Trump headlined a Myrtle Beach rally to publicly endorse Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina’s upcoming Senate runoff, urging supporters to vote and praising her for positions on taxes, the military, and gun rights; Graham thanked him on stage, and a protester briefly interrupted the event before being escorted out, with Trump joking that the protester would go home to mom who will vote for them.
President Donald Trump campaigned in Myrtle Beach to urge turnout for Sen. Darline Graham in the GOP Senate runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman, endorsing her and highlighting his influence and fundraising. The rally featured a reading of The Snake and underscored Trump’s ongoing push with allies, as the broader AP live updates also report on related national stories including UN dues, the White House ballroom project, and Iran sanctions rhetoric.
Trump’s devoted supporters in South Carolina are divided on the incumbent Darline Graham as she heads into a pivotal six-year Senate term, illustrating that even the MAGA base is not monolithic before a key runoff, with Trump urging voters to treat him as on the ballot to boost turnout.
President Donald Trump is traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to stump for Darline Graham in the GOP Senate runoff, continuing his pattern of endorsing political outsiders who align with his priorities. Graham frames herself as not a career politician and pledges to push Trump’s agenda on issues like border security, while Trump hypes a large rally audience in a conservative part of the state ahead of the critical race featuring Rep. Russell Fry in the background.
Ralph Norman and Darline Graham traded attacks in a live Newberry debate ahead of the Aug. 25 runoff, clashing over national security, data centers, and immigration while signaling broad consensus on debt, Israel, and backing Trump; Graham faced questions on Taiwan and the South China Sea, and the event featured a raucous, applause-heavy crowd.
President Trump is set to rally in Myrtle Beach as South Carolina’s U.S. Senate runoff between interim Sen. Darline Graham and Congressman Ralph Norman approaches; the winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. Early voting runs Wednesday through Friday, with the runoff on August 25. The South Carolina Republican Party postponed an Upstate stump stop to ensure both candidates can participate and is seeking to reschedule the Anderson event.
Trump’s Louisiana gamble tests whether his endorsements still sway GOP voters as Rep. Julia Letlow faces state Treasurer John Fleming in Saturday’s runoff to replace retiring Sen. Bill Cassidy after Cassidy finished third in May; Trump backed Letlow and touted her pro‑Trump stance, while Fleming runs on a MAGA‑style agenda in a state that remains deeply red, with the election seen as a barometer of Trump’s influence as the GOP heads into 2026 elections.
President Trump's endorsement anchors the Louisiana GOP Senate runoff between Julia Letlow and John Fleming, with Letlow favored after a May primary win and Fleming pitching himself as the true conservative alternative. Cassidy's ouster set the stage for the matchup, and turnout is the wildcard that could determine the result, especially if participation remains low and the race tight.
Trump endorsed Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia’s GOP Senate runoff against Derek Dooley, praising Collins’ MAGA alignment and criticizing Dooley’s refusal to promote 2020 election conspiracy theories. Collins remains the frontrunner despite a string of controversy over social posts and staffers tied to far-right groups, with the winner facing Democrat Jon Ossoff in the general election.
President Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the May 26 Republican Senate runoff against Sen. John Cornyn, framing Paxton as a 'MAGA Warrior' who will win and urging party loyalty. The move comes as Paxton has trailed Cornyn in the March primary and after a costly race, with some Senate Republicans preferring Cornyn for the general election and early voting already underway.
President Trump said he will endorse a candidate in Texas's GOP Senate runoff soon and asked the other candidate to drop out, a move that could tilt a tight Cornyn–Paxton race as ballots continue counting. Democrats are coalescing around James Talarico, and party strategists expect the endorsement to shape a lengthy, expensive runoff.
Operatives on the payroll of former President Donald Trump discussed using stolen data from voting machines to decertify Georgia’s 2020 Senate runoff, according to text messages obtained by CNN. The operatives gained access to a voting machine in Coffee County, Georgia, after a sympathetic local election administrator allowed them to download voting data onto a portable hard drive. The breaches are being examined by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as part of a larger investigation into Trump’s attempts to interfere in the 2020 election.