Ralph Norman To Run For South Carolina Senate Seat

Ralph Norman on Saturday launched his bid for the South Carolina Senate seat long occupied by the late Lindsey Graham, even after President Donald Trump backed Graham’s sister — should she choose to run — in the August primary.

The five-term House lawmaker and vice chair of the House Freedom Caucus is making Trump’s favored SAVE America Act central to his political prospectus.

“I’ll be throwing my hat into the ring,” Norman told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany. “Day one, Kayleigh, I will be laser-focused on passing President Trump’s America First [agenda]. And it starts with the Save America Act. We’ll nuke the filibuster. And I will be … a vocal vote and a supporter to make this happen.”

Norman is already backed by some of the president’s greatest allies on the Hill. Sens Mike Lee(R-Utah) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) both announced their support on Friday, before he’d officially kicked off his candidacy.

“Now, more than ever, we need a strong fiscal conservative who understands how important it is that we pass President Donald J. Trump's agenda for the American people,” Lee wrote on X.

News of Lindsey Graham’s sudden passing on Sunday touched off a scramble of Republicans angling to run for a seat he’d held since January 2003. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Reps. Nancy Mace and Russell Fry were among the names floated in state GOP circles.

But Trump has already thrown his support behind Darline Graham, who was tapped by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster — and sworn in on Tuesday — to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term. And the prospect of the three House members stumping for the seat could tear them away from a fragile lower-chamber majority that will count on every vote for party-line votes for the rest of the legislative session.

“Darline, who comes from an absolutely incredible family, has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement in the Special Election for U.S. Senate in South Carolina — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN,” Trumpwrote on Truth Social on Friday. “RUN, DARLINE, RUN!”

She has since expressed an interest in campaigning for a full six-year Senate term but has not yet announced an official campaign.

Norman could face long odds in the primary without a Trump endorsement. The president's support has proven significant, with 97 percent of Trump-endorsed candidates winning their primaries this election cycle — from Rep. Barry Moore in Alabama to Rep. Kevin Hern in Oklahoma and Rep. Mike Collins in Georgia.

The South Carolina special primary will take place Aug. 11 with a possible runoff on Aug. 25.