Senator Darline Graham advanced to a runoff election in South Carolina's special Republican primary for Senate, CBS News projected following Tuesday's voting. Graham, appointed to complete the Senate term of her late brother, four-term Senator Lindsey Graham, will face one of several candidates vying for the Republican nomination in the general election.
The special primary was held after Lindsey Graham's sudden death last month. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham, 62, to serve out the remainder of his term. Because the late senator had already secured the Republican nomination in June while seeking reelection, Republicans needed to select a new candidate for the November general election ballot.
Under South Carolina law, if no candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote in the primary, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff. The runoff election is scheduled for August 25. The identity of Darline Graham's opponent in that runoff remained unclear as of Tuesday evening.
Ten candidates competed in Tuesday's special primary election. Congressman Russell Fry, Congressman Ralph Norman, and former governor Mark Sanford polled within a point of each other in the most recent survey from the Trafalgar Group conducted before the primary, suggesting a close contest for the second runoff spot.
Darline Graham held a narrow lead in polling heading into the abbreviated special primary. The winner of the August 25 runoff will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election for the Senate seat.
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