4 highlights from Tuesday's primaries: Mike Lindell loses; Lindsey Graham's sister advances

Darline Graham Nordone speaks during a press conference outside the governor's South Carolina State House office on July 13, 2026, in Columbia, South Carolina.
Darline Graham Nordone speaks during a press conference outside the governor's South Carolina State House office on July 13, 2026, in Columbia, South Carolina. | Getty Images/Grant Baldwin
1. Lindsey Graham’s sister advances to runoff 

One of the most unexpected developments in this year’s election cycle involved South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death at the age of 71.

Graham, who had already won renomination in a June Republican primary, was slated to face off against Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election at the time of his death last month as he sought a fifth term in the U.S. Senate.

Following Graham’s death, his sister Darline Graham Nordone was appointed to fill his seat for the remainder of his term. Graham Nordone was one of several Republicans who ran in a special primary election Tuesday to determine who will replace the late senator on the November ballot. She secured Trump’s endorsement heading into the primary. 

Unofficial results show Graham Nordone taking 32.7% of the vote while Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., captured 24.6% of the vote. Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., came in third at 19.6% of the vote while former Gov. Mark Sanford, who later served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, took 14.9% of the vote.

Mark Lynch, Graham’s primary opponent in the regularly scheduled June primary that the late senator won, took less than 10% of the vote, as did all other candidates on the ballot. 

Since no candidate received a majority of the vote in the Republican primary, Graham Nordone and Norman will advance to a runoff. The runoff election will take place on Aug. 25. 

Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com

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