Family coronation? Lindsey Graham's sister struggles to inherit his seat

Darlene Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, is being dragged into a runoff in the race to succeed him, facing sharp criticism for running on her family name alone. She dismissed the criticism, insisting she must honestly earn voters' support. Despite Trump's endorsement, Republicans question its decisive power.

Darlene Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, is running to succeed him in the Senate and has been forced into a runoff. She faces sharp criticism for running solely on her family name, with no political experience, and for what critics call an attempt at a family coronation. Graham, who worked for years as a commissioner for the blind in South Carolina and advocated for integrating people with disabilities, dismissed the criticism, saying the seat is not being handed to her on a silver platter and that she must honestly earn voters' support. Despite Trump's endorsement—he won the state by about 18 points in 2024—some Republicans doubt the decisive power of that support, given past failures of candidates he backed.