South Carolina GOP Senate primary heads to a runoff

Sen. Darline Graham advanced Tuesday to a runoff in South Carolina's crowded Republican Senate primary, extending the fight to succeed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Her opponent is not yet determined.

Why it matters: The Aug. 25 runoff will almost certainly determine South Carolina's next senator. President Trump endorsed Graham shortly after she formally entered the race.

• The eventual Republican nominee will be heavily favored against Democrat Annie Andrews in November in one of the nation's most reliably Republican states. Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate election there since 1998.

Driving the news: No candidate won the majority required to secure the Republican nomination outright, according to AP.

The big picture: The result narrows a sprawling nine-candidate contest to a head-to-head fight among the race's three dominant forces.

• Graham, 62, has cast herself as a political outsider who can continue her brother's constituent-focused work while serving as a reliable vote for Trump's agenda.

As votes were counted Tuesday, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) were close behind.

• Norman, 73, has argued that Republican voters should judge candidates by their records, presenting himself as a proven conservative rather than a first-time candidate elevated by a famous name.
• Fry, 41, has presented himself as a next-generation conservative with a congressional résumé, an existing campaign organization and experience winning a Trump-aligned Republican primary.

The intrigue: The runoff will offer a revealing test of Trump's influence over a Republican electorate in which nearly every major candidate supports his agenda.

What's next: The two finalists have 14 days to consolidate the supporters of the eliminated candidates.