Trump-Backed Candidates Sweep Runoffs in South Carolina and Oklahoma

COLUMBIA, South Carolina —

President Donald Trump's preferred candidates won Republican runoffs in South Carolina and Oklahoma on Tuesday, according to projections from CNN and NBC, handing him two victories after a summer of primary setbacks.

In South Carolina, Senator Darline Graham defeated Representative Ralph Norman in a tight race. With 93 percent of votes counted, Graham held 52.4 percent to Norman's 47.6 percent, a gap of roughly 15,000 ballots, according to El País. Trump had campaigned for Graham in the state and held a tele-rally on the eve of the vote, telling supporters at a rally last week, "So what I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot." MAGA Inc., the pro-Trump political action committee, spent more than $827,000 on calls and texts for Graham, according to CBS News, a rare use of its funds this election cycle.

Graham was appointed to the Senate seat after her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, died in July from a cardiovascular illness. She had no prior experience in elected office before taking the seat. During a debate last week, she struggled to answer a question about Taiwan and the South China Sea, telling reporters, "I'm not that informed on national security. National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military." Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who backed Norman, wrote on social media that Lindsey Graham had been well versed on national security and that his sister had admitted she was not, calling that knowledge "critical in the U.S. Senate." Graham will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November.

A Costly Fight in Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, Trump-backed Mike Mazzei won the Republican runoff for governor over state Attorney General Gentner Drummond, whom Trump had labeled a "fake Republican." More than $9 million has been spent on the race since Drummond narrowly led the first round of voting in June, according to reporting cited by France 24. Trump had targeted Drummond in part over his opposition to a proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter the president has backed, arguing the plant could harm nearby land and communities. Mazzei, a wealthy former state senator, came out in support of the project shortly before Trump endorsed him.

Breaking a Losing Streak

Tuesday's results interrupt a difficult stretch for Trump, whose endorsed candidates had lost ten Republican contests this year, including six in the previous two weeks, as his approval ratings dropped. Days before the runoffs, Trump had insisted his endorsements were "stronger than ever" and dismissed the recent losses as loyalty to candidates who faced tough races. Tuesday's wins gave him fresh evidence to back that claim, at least for now.