Mark Sanford Endorses Ralph Norman Over Darline Graham In Sc Senate Race

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is throwing his support behind Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina’s Republican Senate runoff, putting him at crossways once again with President Donald Trump, who is backing Sen. Darline Graham.

Sanford ran to succeed Graham’s brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, finishing fourth behind the pair of candidates with 14.9 percent of the vote. His support for Norman marks another setback in a turbulent week for Graham’s campaign.

In a lengthy statement, Sanford offered condolences to Graham on her brother’s passing and praised her personally, but touted Norman’s commitment to reducing government spending and said he felt compelled to weigh in as he watched the race develop in recent days.

“As much as I would like to honor tradition and old friendships, the stakes are simply too high as our nation really is at a financial tipping point,” he said in a social media post. “It's for these reasons and more that I will be voting for Ralph on Tuesday and respectfully ask that you do the same.”

Sanford’s endorsement comes hours before Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally for Graham in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — a significant boon after Graham’s foreign policy gaffe in a debate earlier this week, which raised alarms from Republicans in the state about her experience and her ability to grasp the details of the role.

In accepting the endorsement, Norman played up the value of his nine years in Congress.

“I am honored to have the support of former Governor @MarkSanford in this fight to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate,” Norman said in a social media statement. “I’m the only candidate in this race with the experience and the resume to take on this job, and I look forward to representing the Palmetto State in the United States Senate!”

The Graham campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sanford and Trump have a history of clashes. Sanford opposed Trump in the 2016 primaries, was critical of him during his first term, and briefly ran against him for president in 2020. Trump, in turn, backed his primary challenger in 2018, former state Rep. Katie Arrington, propelling her to victory.

Norman ran for governor earlier this year but came in third place behind Trump’s preferred candidate, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, and eventual winner Attorney General Alan Wilson, whom Trump also endorsed days before the runoff.