Will a high-profile national endorsement or local familiarity ultimately decide the winner of South Carolina's unprecedented Senate runoff?

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Local familiarity is slightly more likely to decide the runoff, though President Donald Trump’s endorsement could still matter at the margins. The evidence points to a race shaped by geography, name recognition and turnout as much as by national backing. Darline Graham entered the runoff with two advantages tied to familiarity: she carries one of the best-known names in South Carolina politics and, as Lindsey Graham’s appointed successor, has had instant statewide visibility. She also led the first round and carried much of the Midlands and Lowcountry. That suggests many voters responded not just to Trump’s endorsement, but to the Graham name and the sense of continuity it represents. Ralph Norman’s case is also rooted in local familiarity. He is an established congressman with a base in the Upstate and near Charlotte, where he performed strongest. Reporting and analysis around the race have repeatedly emphasized that South Carolina primary voters often make judgments based on who they know, regional ties and whether they believe a candidate has been tested before statewide voters. Norman’s campaign has leaned heavily on that argument. Trump’s endorsement remains important because this is a low-information, low-turnout runoff, where a late signal from a dominant national figure can influence less-engaged voters. His planned rally in Myrtle Beach could help Graham with turnout, especially in areas where Russell Fry’s supporters are now up for grabs and Fry has endorsed her. S…

South Carolina Senate Runoff Tests Trump’s Endorsement Power in 1 Rare Vacancy

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South Carolina Senate Runoff Tests Trump’s Endorsement Power in 1 Rare Vacancy

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