Trump Allies Poll South Carolina GOP on 2-Candidate Senate Endorsement as Runoff Heads to Aug. 25
Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · Aug 14
Trump Allies Poll South Carolina GOP on 2-Candidate Senate Endorsement as Runoff Heads to Aug. 25
3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Aug 14
Summary
South Carolina Republicans received texts Thursday asking how they would vote if Donald Trump endorsed both Darlene Graham and Ralph Norman in the Aug. 25 Senate runoff.
The survey surfaced after Graham, Trump’s original pick, failed to clear 50% in Tuesday’s primary and advanced to a runoff with Norman.
Trump has since called former Gov. Mark Sanford and Rep. Russell Fry to seek backing for Graham, and is weighing a Myrtle Beach rally in Fry’s district.
The push reflects concern over Trump’s clout after other endorsed candidates recently lost primaries, including Amir Hassan in Michigan and Rep. Andy Ogles in Tennessee.
It remains unclear who paid for the poll, but allies are floating a dual endorsement as a hedge against another visible defeat in a high-profile GOP race.