Norman Supporters Boo Trump’s Name After South Carolina Senate Runoff Loss
Key Takeaways
- •Darline Graham defeated Ralph Norman in the South Carolina GOP special primary runoff with 52.5% of the vote to Norman’s 47.6%.
- •President Donald Trump actively supported Graham, including holding a rally for her and urging voters on Truth Social to back her.
- •Norman’s supporters booed when he mentioned Trump during his concession speech, reflecting anger over the president’s involvement in the race.
- •Norman said he had not prepared a concession speech because he believed defeat was unlikely, and he complained that roughly $8 million in PAC money aided his opponent.
- •Graham, who had never held elected office before this race, has faced scrutiny over her inexperience after a debate remark that national security was not her area of expertise.
Supporters of losing Republican Senate candidate Ralph Norman booed President Donald Trump’s name during Norman’s concession speech Tuesday night, an unusually blunt display of frustration over Trump’s intervention in a South Carolina primary.
Darline Graham defeated the congressman in the state’s GOP special primary runoff after Trump campaigned aggressively on her behalf, including an in-person rally and repeated appeals on Truth Social urging followers to support her. The Daily Beast highlighted the reaction from Norman’s supporters when Trump was mentioned.
Graham won 52.5 percent of the vote to Norman’s 47.6 percent, according to the Associated Press. Trump declared victory on Truth Social at 8:44 p.m., writing: "Darline Graham Wins! Endorsed by President Trump."
The winner told supporters that "South Carolina truly is Trump Country," while Norman, a 73-year-old congressman who also lost the GOP gubernatorial primary in June, said he had not prepared a concession speech because he believed losing "was not in the cards." The crowd cheered when he added, "I hate it for the state."
The tone changed sharply when Norman addressed Trump’s role in the race. "But you know, the president got involved. He has that right. That's his prerogative," he said, prompting loud boos from his own supporters. Norman then tried to calm the crowd, saying "his policies are good" while adding, "I never understood why he got in this race ... I don't like it, but I'll accept it."
He also complained about spending against him, saying roughly $8 million in PAC money backed his opponent while his campaign relied on South Carolina donors and his own funds.
Norman ended by offering a muted show of support for the winner, stumbling over her name at the podium and drawing laughs from the crowd. His wife, Elaine, appeared to shout, "Whatever her last name is!" Norman said his next chapter "won't be in the political arena."
The boos add another complication to a difficult run for Graham, who was appointed to the Senate after her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, died last month at 71, and had never held elected office before this race. That inexperience has already become part of the campaign’s public scrutiny: last week, she was booed during a debate after saying "national security is not my thing" when asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea. She has since said that no one she has spoken with while campaigning has raised national security concerns with her.
