Trump Shares Poll Showing Graham’s Sister Leading SC Senate Special
Trump amplifies a Trafalgar Group tracking poll that puts Darline Graham at 27% ahead of the Aug. 11 South Carolina GOP primary to fill Lindsey Graham's seat.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump amplified a new tracking poll showing Darline Graham, the interim appointee to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat, leading the crowded South Carolina Republican special primary for U.S. Senate.
Graham drew 27% in the survey, more than nine points ahead of the nearest rivals, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, who each posted 17.4%. Former Gov. Mark Sanford followed at 15.1%, with 12.4% of respondents undecided.The Trafalgar Group polled 989 respondents from July 28 to July 30, with a margin of error of 2.9 points.
“BREAKING: @trafalgar_group SC GOP 2026 Special Election for US Senate Tracking Poll,”Trump wrote, listing each candidate’s standing before naming Darline Graham first at 27.0%.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “BREAKING: @trafalgar_group SC GOP 2026 Special Election for US Senate Tracking Poll(7/28-30) 989 Respondents 2.9 MOE 27.0% Darline Graham 17.4% @RussellFrySC 17.4% Ralph Norman 15.1% Mark Sanford 8.1% Mark Lynch 1.1% Samuel Sam Shepherd 0.9%Duke Buckner 0.4% Mark McBride 0.3% Clark Nielson 12.4% Und” on July 31, 2026 at 5:30 PM ET.
This is Trump‘s 4th message released today, out of five total. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
The move fits a broader pattern in Trump‘s recent messaging, with 72 of his 447 posts over the last 30 days focused on elections.
Darline Graham stepped into her brother’s Senate seat within hours of his death this month, chosen by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to serve until January, according to pbs.org. She had Trump‘s support to seek the seat, along with his endorsement before she publicly said she would run, according to pbs.org. A political unknown to South Carolina voters, she appeared in her brother’s ads and stood by his side at rallies for years without building a profile of her own.
Former President Donald J. Trump shares a graphic displaying poll results on Truth Social at Washington D.C.
© copyright Zenger.News
The stakes run beyond one seat. A strong lead for Darline Graham would validate Trump‘s early endorsement and blunt the ambitions of two sitting congressmen who entered the race hoping his backing might swing his way. Norman snapped up endorsements from other House members, including Rep. Nancy Mace, and law enforcement officials, according to pbs.org. Trump had previously suggested he could back Fry before Darline Graham emerged, according to pbs.org.
The seat rarely opens. Graham won his June primary outright and faced an expected glide path toward a fifth term before his sudden death at age 71, according to pbs.org. No Democrat has won a statewide-elected office in South Carolina for two decades, according to pbs.org, meaning the Republican primary effectively decides the contest.
For the average reader, the rushed timeline compresses a normal campaign into a two-week sprint. At least 10 hopefuls filed paperwork ahead of the Aug. 11 special GOP primary, according to pbs.org. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff follows on Aug. 25, according to pbs.org.
This has happened before. Sanford, whose political rise stalled after a 2009 affair, is mounting yet another comeback just three months after shuttering a bid to retake his old U.S.House seat, according to pbs.org. Perennial candidate Duke Buckner and former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, who lost a 2004 Senate primary to Jim DeMint, round out a field studded with familiar faces, according to pbs.org.
South Carolina Republican voters decide next, at the ballot box on Aug. 11, 2026. A runoff, if needed, would settle the nomination on Aug. 25, 2026.
Special Senate races have reshaped South Carolina politics before. In 2013, Republican Gov. Nikki Haley appointed then-Rep. Tim Scott to fill the seat vacated by Jim DeMint, according to pbs.org.SC ott went on to win a 2014 special election and later a full term, turning an appointment into a durable political career and showing how quickly a placeholder can become a fixture.
Assigned topic: Elections.
This is Trump‘s 4th Truth Social post today, out of 5 total today.
On average,Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Trump‘s last post was 1 hour ago.
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