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U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., speaks with attendees at the South Carolina Republican Party’s Silver Elephant Gala on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Columbia, S.C.<\/p>\n
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U.S. Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., answers questions during a forum for candidates competing in a special Republican Senate primary runoff to replace her late brother, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Greenville, S.C.<\/p>\n
Meg Kinnard\/AP Photo\/Meg Kinnard<\/p>\n
ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) \u2014 U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman says it’s a \u201chead scratcher\u201d that President Donald Trump endorsed Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina’s Republican Senate runoff, saying his experience in Congress and business \u2014 and consistent votes for Trump\u2019s priorities \u2014 make him the stronger candidate to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.<\/p>\n
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Norman’s comments came in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press ahead of the Aug. 25 GOP runoff to pick a replacement for the senator, who died unexpectedly last month. In a state that routinely elects only Republicans for statewide office, GOP primaries are often the most contentious competitions. Tuesday’s winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November.<\/p>\n
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Norman finished second to Graham in a 10-candidate special primary on Aug. 11, though neither won the majority needed to win outright. AP’s request for a similar interview with Graham has not been granted.<\/p>\n
Darline Graham was appointed as interim senator after her brother’s death. She opted to run in the special primary for a full term, something she said Trump \u2014 long an ally of her brother \u2014 urged her to do. Darline Graham says she’s accomplished much during her time as interim, has years of experience running a state agency in South Carolina and will continue to advocate for Trump’s goals in the Senate.<\/p>\n
Norman said he\u2019s skeptical that South Carolina voters have had enough time to vet the political newcomer for a six-year term, while he\u2019s already been through a statewide campaign this cycle, coming up short in the June gubernatorial primary. He also eschewed the millions being spent on ads against him, much of it from a super PAC that had been aligned with Lindsey Graham and now supports Darline Graham.<\/p>\n
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Norman backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley over Trump in the 2024 presidential primary, but has since been a Trump supporter.<\/p>\n
Here are excerpts from AP’s conversation with Norman about the race. This transcript has been edited for space and clarity:<\/p>\n
You oppose \u2018endless wars\u2019 and support Trump. What should the U.S. do next on Iran?<\/p>\n
A: If you read the mood of the public across the country, it’s, \u201cwe want gas prices down.\u201d They don\u2019t understand what\u2019s left.<\/p>\n
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(Trump) did a great job of taking out the nuclear threat that we had for 40 years. \u2026 but there\u2019s still a lot of work to be done. The American people do not understand the Strait of Hormuz not being completely controlled by America. That\u2019s what I hear. And gas prices, as a result, are staying high. And I think one of the worst things the president wants is the public to turn on him because he\u2019s not ending it.<\/p>\n
Now, what does ending it mean? Well, no one really knows. I mean, does it mean, just a remnant of leaders that are opposed to him? Does it mean bombing? He mentioned that he was going to take out the electrical supplies. He was going to decimate the country. Well, that hasn\u2019t happened. So, I think it\u2019s a communication issue that he needs to get involved with.<\/p>\n
So I think he\u2019d be doing himself a big favor to explain more now. He says it\u2019s under no timeline. Well, when the public turns on you, they turn on you.<\/p>\n
How does Trump’s support for Graham complicate your campaign?<\/p>\n
A: Imagine if I went to (head football coach) Dabo Swinney at Clemson and any of the coaches said, \u201cLook, I got a prospect I want you to look at, and I want them to. They can start. I want you to sign them up. They can start for the next six years.\u201d \u201cWhat\u2019s the qualifications?\u201d \u201cThey’re kin to Tom Brady.\u201d Tell me how that analogy doesn\u2019t work here.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s politics. It\u2019s votes, and I\u2019ve stuck with it, and I will continue to.<\/p>\n
Has Darline Graham done enough to let voters get to know her?<\/p>\n
A: It\u2019s not the fact that she hasn\u2019t been in politics. Now, she\u2019s worked at a governmental agency. I\u2019ve run a business. I\u2019ve made money and I\u2019ve lost money, and that\u2019s the drawback for any politician. You need to have done that. I have demonstrated that I want to get the national debt solved, which is the cancer that I see is bankrupting this country, but by dodging debates, that\u2019s going to hurt her, and it should.<\/p>\n
You got to get out there and answer all questions.<\/p>\n
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She can run a campaign like she wants to. What\u2019s happened? She\u2019s told the Washington elite they\u2019re dictating the terms because it\u2019s not South Carolina money. Mine is my money and South Carolina\u2019s money, so they\u2019re dictating the terms and giving her the political answers, like Biden: Don\u2019t show up, be in a basement. His was because he was senile. Hers is they want her to win this election.<\/p>\n
The powers that be do not want Ralph Norman in there, and it would be questioned, what\u2019s the return on investment that they\u2019re having to come after me like that? What\u2019s the return on investment for the president? If I were your typical politician, I would say, \u201cNo, that makes me mad, I\u2019m gonna stop him at every level.\u201d I\u2019m not gonna do that. I don\u2019t play like that. It would be horrible if Kamala Harris had won this. He saved the country, and I really think that. He should go on Rushmore. He really should. What he\u2019s done, it took guts.<\/p>\n
But this one is a head scratcher. I\u2019m gonna win this election. We\u2019re gonna win this election, and unless something happens that I, you know \u2014 I can just feel it. People are with us, and I\u2019ve got a record they can\u2019t dispute.<\/p>\n
Does support from Nikki Haley hurt you in a race dominated by Trump?<\/p>\n
A: No. And I told the president it was a loyalty issue. I came in with Nikki. She\u2019s from South Carolina, and he understands that. And again, anybody can take anything and use it to say that was a reason. Look, the minute she lost (the 2024 presidential primary against Trump), I called him, and my record since he\u2019s been in office has been lock solid.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s because I believe in him. I just believe what he\u2019s doing. Now I don\u2019t like what he\u2019s doing now, but he\u2019s president. I give him all the leeway to do it if that\u2019s what you want to do. But he\u2019s done so many good things, right, to me.<\/p>\n
Voters have to decide that. I mean, if they want to hold that against me, it\u2019s out there. I\u2019m not apologizing.<\/p>\n
If elected, what would be your Senate priorities?<\/p>\n
A: People bait us, \u201cAre you gonna fire (Senate Majority Leader John) Thune?\u201d Well, it\u2019s deeper than that. One, I wouldn\u2019t do it to somebody that I wouldn\u2019t have a conversation with first. When you fire anybody, you talk with them, and you come to an agreement. You either disagree or agree. I would get with Thune, who is a nice man, from what I’ve been hearing, say, \u201cHow can we work on getting the SAVE Act passed? Now, if it\u2019s still the same, \u201cWe don\u2019t have the votes. We\u2019re not going to try anything,\u201d and then I\u2019ll just say, \u201cWell, fine, I\u2019m going to work to replace you, and we\u2019ll see who that is.\u201d<\/p>\n
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