Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina has officially thrown his hat into the ring for the Senate seat left vacant by the late Lindsey Graham, despite the fact that Donald Trump has already endorsed Graham's sister, Darline, should she decide to run. Norman announced his bid on Saturday with all the subtlety of a campaign rally, declaring on X: "I'm running to represent the people of South Carolina in the US Senate because we need a fighter who will stand with President Trump and carry on Lindsey Graham's legacy!" He added, with a touch of redundancy, "I've spent years fighting for the Palmetto State in the state house, in Congress, and now I want to get the SAVE America Act passed in the Senate!"
Norman further cemented his commitment to Trump's restrictive voting bill and eliminating the filibuster as his campaign's centerpiece, telling Fox host Kayleigh McEnany: "I'll be throwing my hat into the ring … Day one, Kayleigh, I will be laser-focused on passing President Trump's 'America first' [agenda]. And it starts with the Save America Act. We'll nuke the filibuster."
But here's the thing: Trump already asked Darline Graham to run in a special GOP primary on August 11, with a possible runoff on August 25. The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. Trump proclaimed on Truth Social: "Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement … RUN, DARLINE, RUN!"
Norman admitted to CNN that he unsuccessfully sought Trump's support, but he's not letting a little thing like the president's endorsement of someone else stop him. "I wanted [Trump's] blessing to run and get his support. He decided to go with Darline, who's a nice person, and he decided to go with her. And so I respect that," Norman said. "But it doesn't deter my plans. I'm in this to win."
Senators Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah endorsed Norman's bid before he even made it official. Meanwhile, Darline Graham, 62, was appointed by Governor Henry McMaster on Tuesday to fill her brother's seat on an interim basis, just three days after his death - the first time a sibling has replaced a senator who died in office, and the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate.
Lindsey Graham died on July 11 at age 71 from an aortic dissection due to cardiovascular disease, setting off a Republican scramble for his seat, which he had held since 2003. Darline Graham's term ends January 3, and she's reportedly considering running for a full six-year term but hasn't officially announced.
Candidates can formally file next week. Businessman Mark Lynch and lawyer Duke Buckner have already entered the race, and Representative Nancy Mace is also eyeing a bid. Norman, 73, a House Freedom Caucus member, previously ran unsuccessfully for governor of South Carolina. He's a lifelong Rock Hill resident with a career in commercial real estate, elected to Congress in 2017 after 11 years in the state house. Notably, he did not back Trump in the 2024 election - but hey, who's keeping score?