Fry Endorses Graham in SC Senate Runoff
U.S. Rep. Russell Fry has endorsed Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina’s Republican Senate primary runoff, throwing his support behind the interim senator who is seeking to replace her late brother on November’s general election ballot. The endorsement, announced Friday, adds significant political weight to Graham’s campaign as the August 25 runoff against U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman approaches.
Fry finished third in the special primary held Tuesday, when Graham and Norman advanced to the runoff. His backing follows that of other powerful Republicans who have supported Graham, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and President Donald Trump, whose early endorsement helped propel Fry’s own congressional career.
Context and Background
The endorsement comes at a pivotal moment in a compressed and sometimes chaotic campaign. Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly in July, triggering a special election process to fill his seat. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to serve out the remainder of her brother’s current term on July 13, and she was sworn in the following day as the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.
The special primary took place just a month after Lindsey Graham’s death, with ten candidates competing in a crowded field. Graham came in first with 32.8% of the vote, while Norman finished second and Fry received 19.66%, according to PJ Media.
Key Developments
“President Trump needs fighters and allies in the Senate who will show up every day and get results,” Fry said in a news release. “I believe Darline Graham will be exactly that.”
Fry also highlighted Graham’s personal story, noting that she had a hardscrabble upbringing and was ultimately adopted by her older brother after their parents died when she was young. “Darline knows what it means to struggle, persevere, and keep fighting when life deals you a difficult hand,” Fry said. “Those experiences shaped her, and I believe they give her a real understanding of the challenges families across South Carolina face.”
Graham responded warmly to the endorsement, saying she was “extremely honored” to have earned Fry’s support. “Considering the respect that the Pee Dee has for Russell and his team, I am excited to continue building a conservative force to fight for President Trump’s America First agenda,” she said, according to ABC News 4.
With Fry’s backing, the bulk of South Carolina’s Republican establishment is now in almost total lockstep with Graham. She has received endorsements from Trump, Scott, Rep. William Timmons, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Sen. Tom Cotton, according to WIS TV.
Norman, meanwhile, has lined up his own array of prominent backers, including former Gov. Nikki Haley, Rep. Nancy Mace, Sens. Mike Lee and Rick Scott, former Sen. Jim DeMint, and businessman Mark Lynch.
Analysis and Implications
The endorsement carries strategic significance beyond symbolic unity. Fry won his congressional district in the Myrtle Beach area and Pee Dee region during the primary, and if he can deliver that bloc of voters to Graham, it could be decisive in the runoff. FITSNews noted that Fry’s 19.66% primary showing could be a key factor in the August 25 contest.
GOP strategist Matt Gorman, a former senior adviser to Sen. Scott, suggested Fry’s endorsement was also a political calculation for the 41-year-old, two-term congressman. “Russell is a smart guy with a long career ahead of him,” Gorman said. “It makes zero sense to get crosswise with either President Trump or Tim Scott. If he wants to, Fry will get another shot at the seat because Graham or Norman won’t be there multiple decades.”
Trump had stumped for Fry in his first House campaign in 2022, when the state lawmaker ousted a five-term GOP congressman who had voted to impeach Trump a year earlier. The endorsement also underscores Trump’s continued influence over Republican politics in the state, where his backing has been a decisive factor in recent primary contests.
What’s Next
The runoff election will be held on Tuesday, August 25, with early voting beginning August 19. The GOP winner will face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in November’s general election. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades.
Gov. McMaster, who appointed Graham to the seat but has not explicitly endorsed in the runoff, has fueled speculation he may back her during a potential Trump campaign visit to South Carolina. Political analysts expect the runoff to be significantly more contentious than the primary, with former S.C. Sen. Joel Lourie noting, “There’ve been two senators in this seat for 71 years. The gloves are coming off.”
If Graham wins, she would become the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from South Carolina, building on the historic appointment she received in July following her brother’s death.