Another contender in South Carolina’s special Republican Senate primary has weighed in on the remaining candidates.
Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) threw his support behind Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) on Aug. 13.
Graham will compete in the Aug. 25 runoff against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). The two are vying to fill the slot held by Graham’s late brother, Lindsey Graham.
In a post on X, Fry said the current senator would be a strong advocate for the agenda of President Donald Trump, who has endorsed her candidacy.
“I’m asking everyone who supported our campaign to join me in supporting Darline Graham for the United States Senate,” he wrote.
Fry’s statement came after the fifth-place finisher, businessman Mark Lynch, endorsed Norman. Another candidate, Duke Bucker, has also thrown his support behind the fiscal hawk, known for his connections to the House Freedom Caucus.
Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, the fourth-place finisher in the primary, has not issued an endorsement. His son, Landon Sanford, announced his support for Norman.
Despite Trump’s support for Graham, conservatives and Republicans have been split on the candidates.
Graham, who was appointed to her seat by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, has been backed by major Senate Republicans, including her counterpart in South Carolina, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).
Scott chairs the powerful National Republican Senatorial Committee, a hub for GOP fundraising.
Graham also received an endorsement from Cody Simpson, the Republican nominee for South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture.
Norman’s backers include former senator Jim DeMint.
The congressman also appeared alongside Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) at a recent event in South Carolina.
Former Gov. Nikki Haley, whose 2024 presidential bid was supported by Norman, publicly backed the congressman ahead of the Aug. 11 primary, writing on Facebook on Aug. 10 that he “has never let our state down.”
“The United States Senate does not need another politician trying to become something they are not,” Haley wrote.
Members of South Carolina’s Freedom Caucus have also endorsed Norman.
Spending and associated advertising in the race are also intensifying as Aug. 25 nears.
A federal election filing from the PAC Palmetto Action shows more than $1.2 million in spending against Norman.
Norman’s campaign filings reflect a $400,000 loan from the candidate to himself.
The congressman built a career in real estate development before entering politics.
Before Graham was appointed to the Senate, she worked in disability services and was commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.
