President Trump’s endorsement of Sen. Darline Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, may not be enough to carry her to victory in the rapidly approaching Aug. 11 primary.
Ms. Graham, who was sworn in earlier this month to temporarily replace her brother in the Senate, officially launched her candidacy on Thursday with a 30-second video appeal to South Carolina voters posted on social media.
She said she’s grateful for the president’s endorsement and is “ready to serve.”
But voters are skeptical.
A new Emerson University poll shows Rep. Ralph Norman, a conservative with a record of faithfully backing the Trump agenda, leading Ms. Graham by 3 percentage points. More than half of the voters polled said Mr. Trump’s endorsement of Ms. Graham “makes no impact on their vote.”
The new survey backs up warnings from grassroots conservatives in the deep-red state that Ms. Graham remains a political unknown to voters and, even though she has the president’s powerful backing, they are weighing more-vetted candidates in the crowded primary field, including Mr. Norman and Rep. Russell Fry. Ms. Graham has given very few interviews.
Emerson’s poll of 500 likely primary voters found Mr. Norman, a five-term House lawmaker, with 22% of the vote and Ms. Graham, who has never been elected to any office, with 19%.
Rep. Russell Fry placed third with 12% of support from those polled.
The poll’s margin of error is more than 4 percentage points, which means the race is technically too close to call between Ms. Graham and Mr. Norman.
South Carolina GOP insiders say Mr. Fry, who is serving his second term in the House, is expected to gain traction in the coming days as the candidates frantically campaign across the Palmetto State with less than two weeks to go before the lightning primary.
The Emerson poll, which was conducted jointly with Nexstar Media, “confirms the thinking that statewide voters are familiar with Norman and trust his voting record,” Dorchester County GOP Chairman C.J. Westfall said.
Mr. Westfall said he believes Mr. Fry will pick up additional support “as the rest of the state gets to know him” ahead of the primary.
The hardline conservative candidates who did not win Mr. Trump’s endorsement are running as if they have it.
Mr. Fry is touting his conservative record over two terms in Congress and representing Horry County in the South Carolina General Assembly, where he served a chief majority whip. Mr. Fry poses alongside Mr. Trump in the featured photo on his campaign website.
“Russell has always been a public servant and an advocate for the conservative movement,” Mr. Fry wrote in his campaign page biography.
Voters will have to choose among nine candidates who made the cut for the primary ballot, among them former Gov. Mark Sanford, who in the Emerson poll picked up 11% of support.
Mr. Norman, a member of the ultra-right House Freedom Caucus, describes himself as “a Trump conservative” who will back the America First agenda.
“President Trump needs proven conservative fighters standing with him — not politicians who fold when the pressure comes,” Mr. Norman said.
He has the backing of Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah and is endorsed by Turning Point USA, a major conservative voter advocacy group.
Polls suggest none of the candidates will win more than 50% of the vote in the primary, which means the contest is likely headed for a runoff between the top two candidates exactly two weeks later, at the end of August.
“There’s no scenario I see where Darline wins in a runoff scenario against Fry or Norman, who have established conservative reputations,” Mr. Westfall said.
In her new campaign video, Ms. Graham doesn’t say much about her agenda:
“I’m a conservative Republican, and I believe this — every life is precious. Men don’t belong in women’s sports, and only American citizens should vote in our elections,” she said.
She was chosen by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to serve as her brother’s temporary replacement after he died suddenly from an aortic tear on July 11.
His sister, whom he raised after the death of their parents, was sworn in to serve out the rest of his term on July 14.
Grassroots conservatives in the state were quick to congratulate her but viewed her position as temporary. Her decision to launch a campaign for a full six-year term — pushed into the race by Mr. Trump — drew quick backlash.
State Republican operatives told The Washington Times that Mr. Trump first backed Mr. Fry to fill the remaining five months of Graham’s term but pivoted to Ms. Graham after talking to the governor.
Voters accuse Ms. Graham of “taking advantage” of her temporary appointment to launch her bid for a full term, one grassroots operative told The Times. They aren’t happy with what they perceive as the president’s flip-flop endorsement.
Mr. Trump on July 17 posted on his Truth Social platform that he has known Ms. Graham “a long time,” and called her “a spectacular person, and a true American Patriot” who shares her brother’s deep love of the country. He called on her to run in the primary, promising voters, “SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN.”
Ms. Graham, backed by her brother’s legislative and campaign team, has worked to quickly build conservative credentials on Capitol Hill.
She recently joined a group of GOP senators calling on Republican Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota to cancel the August recess in order to push through a spending and voter ID bill that is the president’s top legislative priority.
She also signed on to her brother’s final legislative priority, a bill sanctioning countries that purchase oil and natural gas from Russia. And she is backing a bill mandating the use of E-Verify to hire workers, a gun rights bill and a measure that would prohibit the FDA from approving new abortion drugs, among other legislation.
She also has the backing of leading conservatives in the Senate: GOP Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming, and Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
