{"id":45402,"date":"2026-08-14T23:34:53","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T18:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=45402"},"modified":"2026-08-14T23:34:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T18:34:53","slug":"us-rep-russell-fry-endorses-sen-darline-graham-in-south-carolina-republican-senate-runoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=45402","title":{"rendered":"US Rep. Russell Fry endorses Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina Republican Senate runoff"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \"><span class=\"oyrPY qlwaB AGxeB  \">COLUMBIA, S.C. &#8212; <\/span>U.S. Rep. Russell Fry endorsed Sen. <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/darline-graham-campaign-south-carolina-senate-7faae372fd831368c0f2a1af40e5c703\">Darline Graham<\/a> in South Carolina&#8217;s Republican Senate primary runoff, saying on Friday that she should replace her late brother on general election ballots because of her ability to advance President Donald Trump&#8217;s agenda and her understanding of everyday people&#8217;s struggles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Fry finished third in <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/south-carolina-senate-primary-lindsey-graham-df041787564cdbc3668ad8619aad557e\">a special primary<\/a> held Tuesday, when Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman advanced to the Aug. 25 runoff. His backing follows that of other powerful Republicans who have supported Graham, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Trump, whose early endorsement helped propel his own congressional career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cPresident Trump needs fighters and allies in the Senate who will show up every day and get results,\u201d Fry said in a news release. \u201cI believe Darline Graham will be exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Graham&#8217;s brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lindsey-graham-dies-south-carolina-bfa556e170f2df22ce9ffc7165da3dfa\">died suddenly<\/a> last month. Darline Graham, was appointed to serve out the remainder of his current term, then opted to <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/darline-graham-full-term-south-carolina-senate-ef319a09b47a57b8c31950b90ed4f82b\">run for the seat<\/a>, winning the biggest share of votes but not the majority needed to avoid a runoff. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \"><a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/south-carolina-senate-graham-republicans-primary-8fb92d9ee297552a5e806ee3cdcebbd2\">The special primary<\/a>, which took place just a month after Lindsey Graham&#8217;s death, meant a compressed and sometimes chaotic campaign for the 10 candidates who ran to replace him. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Much of the most heated rhetoric volleyed back and forth between Fry and a political action committee supporting Darline Graham, which ran ads pointing out that Trump \u2014 who initially said Fry would be an \u201coutstanding\u201d pick for the seat \u2014 passed him over to <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lindsey-graham-darline-trump-mcmaster-fee07e7991d764bffe91dffb161927ca\">back Graham instead<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Graham&#8217;s brother was a top Senate ally for Trump, to whom she has also <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/lindsey-graham-darline-graham-senate-south-carolina-f2c10dfa296bd178d247157c78096a99\">closely tied herself<\/a> in her campaign. Both Fry and Graham have often mentioned their humble origins as a touchpoint for understanding kitchen table issues, something Fry noted he had in common with Graham.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cDarline knows what it means to struggle, persevere, and keep fighting when life deals you a difficult hand,&#8221; Fry said of the 62-year-old Graham, who had a hardscrabble upbringing and was ultimately adopted by her older brother after their parents died when she was young. \u201cThose experiences shaped her, and I believe they give her a real understanding of the challenges families across South Carolina face.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Trump had stumped for Fry in <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/south-carolina-only-on-ap-election-2020-house-elections-tom-rice-d69e78a7021653e9fddbf6752f7a5a39\">his first House campaign<\/a> in 2022, when the state lawmaker ousted a five-term GOP congressman who had voted to impeach Trump a year earlier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Matt Gorman, a GOP strategist and former senior adviser to Scott, suggested that Fry&#8217;s endorsement of Graham was a political calculation for the 41-year-old, two-term congressman, who has seen the ramifications for some Republicans who have crossed Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cRussell is a smart guy with a long career ahead of him,&#8221; Gorman said. &#8220;It makes zero sense to get crosswise with either President Trump or Tim Scott. If he wants to, Fry will get another shot at the seat because Graham or Norman won\u2019t be there multiple decades.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The GOP runoff\u2019s winner will face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in November\u2019s general election. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina in decades.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">___<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">Meg Kinnard can be reached at <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"http:\/\/x.com\/MegKinnardAP\">http:\/\/x.com\/MegKinnardAP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COLUMBIA, S.C. &#8212; U.S. Rep. Russell Fry endorsed Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina&#8217;s Republican Senate primary runoff, saying on Friday that she should replace her late brother on general election ballots because of her ability to advance President Donald Trump&#8217;s agenda and her understanding of everyday people&#8217;s struggles. Fry finished third in a special&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/adff148e-e69e-46ff-aaf5-5e2fa6663f55\/wirestory_a5105ab7be15d4ef9277aa381a06cfc3_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45402"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45402\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}