Trump Brings a Last-Minute Rally Boost to Darline Graham in South Carolina's US Senate Race

Trump Brings a Last-Minute Rally Boost to Darline Graham in South Carolina's US Senate Race

Trump Rallies for Graham at Clemson

President Donald Trump held a rally Wednesday evening at Clemson University's T. Ed Garrison Arena to boost Republican Sen. Darline Graham ahead of South Carolina's Nov. 3 election. It was his second trip to the state in three months, following a tele-rally last Thursday, and came a day after he campaigned in North Carolina for Senate hopeful Michael Whatley.

Background and Official Line

Graham was appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster to fill the seat left vacant when her brother, longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham, died suddenly on July 11 of a torn aorta. Trump praised her as "smart and incredible," invoked her late brother's legacy, and said she has "great genetics." At the rally he promoted Republican candidates and warned Democrats "want to burn it all down."

A Surprisingly Tight Race in a Red State

South Carolina is reliably Republican — Trump carried it by 18 points in 2024 — yet this Senate contest has tightened sharply. A Trafalgar Group survey (Sept. 23–25, 1,087 likely voters) put Graham at 43.4% and Andrews at 42.3%, within a ±2.9% margin of error. A Rasmussen Reports poll (Oct. 5–8, 837 likely voters) showed Graham at 49% and Andrews at 45%. Democratic challenger Annie Andrews, a Charleston-area pediatrician, has used fundraising emails to argue that Graham called in Trump because the race is competitive.

South Carolina's First Woman in the Senate

The race will produce South Carolina's first woman in the U.S. Senate, with three women on the ballot: Graham, Andrews, and Libertarian Kasie Whitener. Republican groups have poured millions into the race as an "insurance policy" for Graham. The rally drew thousands; Trump was interrupted repeatedly by protesters as the crowd chanted "USA," and he dismissed the demonstrators as "paid protesters." Rep. Ralph Norman, who lost the Aug. 25 runoff to Graham, faulted Trump this week for the tight race, telling a reporter it "shouldn't even be close" if he had been the nominee.

Early Voting Underway, Nov. 3 Decides

Early voting runs Oct. 19–31, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Oct. 25 closed. Graham won the Aug. 25 runoff over Rep. Ralph Norman by 193,486 votes (52.4%) to 175,412 (47.6%), securing the Republican nomination. The three candidates met in the race's only debate Sunday in Columbia, where Graham left without speaking to reporters afterward. With Election Day on Nov. 3 approaching, both campaigns are pressing turnout in the Upstate and beyond.