'Dragging Rs down': GOP lawmaker sounds alarm over Darline Graham despite Trump's campaign push
WASHINGTON, DC: Despite President Donald Trump’s endorsement of the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, as his replacement for the South Carolina Senate seat, a GOP lawmaker doubts she would be able to fight it out in the battleground.
After Lindsey Graham’s sudden death in early July, Trump urged the late South Carolina senator's sister, Darline Graham, to run for a full six-year term in the US Senate following her interim appointment.
GOP lawmaker says Darline Graham is 'dragging Rs down'
A House Republican called the tight race in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District "embarrassing" and said Darline Graham is “dragging Rs down the ticket.”
Joe Khalil, a NewsNation senior congressional correspondent, posted the lawmaker's text messages on X. In the tweet, he called the congressman’s words a “brutal assessment” of the “party’s own prospects” in South Carolina’s Senate race.
The development came as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) prepared to campaign in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.
“Republicans won this seat by 18 points. The fact it’s this close and the speaker has to come to SC 1 to drag the R across the finish line is embarrassing,” the anonymous member wrote in an exchange posted on Thursday, October 29, by Khalil on X.
YIKES 👀 Just got this absolutely BRUTAL assessment from a sitting Republican member of Congress about their party’s own prospects, particularly in South Carolina as both President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson are making campaign stops there this late in the game. https://t.co/UBaxSlfMuZ
— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) October 29, 2026
“Darline is dragging Rs down the ticket,” the Republican member added. “The only saving grace is that the governors race is where it should be.”
Senate race heats up as polls show neck-and-neck fight
From the race being favorable to GOP nominee Darline Graham in early forecasts, the South Carolina race has now transformed into a tight contest with Democrat Annie Andrews.
Earlier, nonpartisan election forecaster Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) leaned in favor of Graham, giving her a 65% chance of winning the race.
But the picture appeared to be changing recently despite the state historically being deep red, as a New York Times/Siena University poll showed both candidates with 48% support among likely voters in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the upper chamber of Congress since 1998.
South Carolina is one of multiple Republican strongholds that Democrats have a chance of flipping in next week’s midterm elections.
President Trump recently made his third and final trip to South Carolina to boost support for Graham’s Senate bid.
In the governor’s race, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) has a 74% chance of defeating his Democratic opponent, Jermaine Johnson, according to DDHQ. That matches the lawmaker's lone "saving grace" comment.
