Rep. Ralph Norman officially announced his campaign on Saturday for South Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat, which was long held by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. His decision comes despite President Donald Trump publicly endorsing Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, should she decide to enter the special election.<\/p>\n
A five-term congressman and vice chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Norman said advancing President Trump’s America First agenda would be his top priority. Central to his campaign is the SAVE America Act, legislation he described as a key step toward implementing the president’s policy goals.<\/p>\n
“I’ll be throwing my hat into the ring,” Norman told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany. “From day one, I’ll be laser-focused on passing President Trump’s America First agenda. It starts with the SAVE America Act. We’ll eliminate the filibuster, and I’ll be a strong advocate and reliable vote to help make it happen.”<\/p>\n
Norman has already secured endorsements from several prominent Trump allies in the Senate. Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rick Scott of Florida announced their support on Friday, ahead of his official campaign launch.<\/p>\n
“Now, more than ever, we need a strong fiscal conservative who understands the importance of advancing President Donald J. Trump’s agenda for the American people,” Lee wrote in a post on X.<\/p>\n
The race to succeed Lindsey Graham intensified following his death, prompting several South Carolina Republicans to consider entering the contest. Among the names discussed were Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Representatives Nancy Mace and Russell Fry.<\/p>\n
President Trump, however, has thrown his support behind Darline Graham, who was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and sworn in earlier this week to complete the remainder of her brother’s Senate term.<\/p>\n
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump praised Darline Graham and encouraged her to seek the seat permanently.<\/p>\n
“Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a winner all of her life and, should she decide to run, has my complete and total endorsement in the South Carolina special election,” Trump wrote. “Run, Darline, run!”<\/p>\n
Although she has expressed interest in seeking a full six-year Senate term, Darline Graham has not yet formally announced her candidacy.<\/p>\n
Without Trump’s endorsement, Norman may face an uphill battle in the Republican primary. The president’s backing has carried considerable influence this election cycle, with the overwhelming majority of Trump-endorsed candidates winning their primary contests.<\/p>\n
The South Carolina Republican special primary is scheduled for Aug. 11. If no candidate secures a majority of the vote, a runoff election will be held on Aug. 25.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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