On Tuesday, Republican Rep. Ralph Norman from South Carolina seemed puzzled about President Donald Trump’s involvement in a contest within a non-battleground state.
Norman lost to Republican Senator Darline Graham in South Carolina, garnering 47.5% of the vote compared to her 52.5%. He hinted that Trump might have wasted his efforts backing Graham, given that South Carolina is firmly a red state.
“The president got involved, and that’s his prerogative,” Norman remarked during his concession speech. “You know, his policies are good, but I never really understood why he entered this race. It is what it is, and I’ll accept it.”
.@RepRalphNorman concession speech in South Carolina GOP Senate primary race. He says he “hates it for the state,” and “never understood” why the president got involved. pic.twitter.com/t8QfI4hTp0
— CSPAN (@cspan) August 26, 2026
Trump endorsed Graham, urging her to pursue a full term. He campaigned for her at a rally on Friday and held a tele-rally on Monday, asserting that since he “got her into this whole thing, I have to make sure she gets in.” He also supported businessman Mike Mazzei in Oklahoma, who secured the gubernatorial primary nomination.
On Truth Social, Trump shared his delight in backing “two so-called underdogs” who both emerged victorious. “I supported and ENDORSED two so-called ‘underdogs’ yesterday, one from South Carolina, and the other from Oklahoma, and they BOTH WON. Two great people!!!”
Interestingly, Trump dedicated more time to campaigning in South Carolina than in key battleground states like Georgia, Texas, and Michigan.
Meanwhile, Graham raised over $346,000 between July 23 and Aug. 5, according to the Federal Elections Commission. MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC, spent more than $827,000 on text messaging and voter outreach for Graham.
Historically, MAGA Inc. has not frequently invested heavily in individual candidate support during the 2026 primary season, with the PAC maintaining a significant reserve of around $400 million.
Norman garnered endorsements from several notable figures, including Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott and former Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Former Republican Rep. Bob Good also threw his support behind Norman through a post on X, encouraging South Carolina voters to “reject birthright senatorship.”
Some Republicans in South Carolina were caught off guard by Graham’s candidacy, expressing to the Daily Caller that they did not support her running for a full term.
Despite a strong winning record for candidates endorsed by Trump during the 2026 primaries, it’s worth noting that Republican Catalina Lauf lost to Jim Schwartzel in an August 18 primary, even with Trump’s backing.
Currently, 97% of Trump-endorsed candidates have won their House primary races, with a perfect record in Senate primaries, as reported by Just the News. However, his gubernatorial endorsements have not fared as well, with some losses in states like Iowa, Minnesota, and Georgia, according to Ballotpedia.
Adding to the intrigue, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie lost to his challenger, Ed Gallrein, who Trump had endorsed. Additionally, Senators John Cornyn from Texas and Bill Cassidy from Louisiana were defeated in their primaries after Trump endorsed their opponents.
