By admin 
U.S. Sen. Darline Graham picked up U.S. Rep. Russell Fry’s backing in her bid for a full, six-year term to the U.S. Senate, an endorsement that could help her win votes in the Myrtle Beach area.
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Fry finished third in the special U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday and gained nearly 66,000 votes statewide, so he did not advance to the runoff, which is triggered when one candidate does not receive more than 50% of votes.
Graham is competing for the Republican nomination against U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman. The two will go head-to-head in a runoff Aug. 25. The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November.
Graham would be an “ally and fighter” for President Donald Trump in the U.S. Senate, Fry said in a news release announcing the endorsement.
“Darline knows what it means to struggle, persevere, and keep fighting when life deals you a difficult hand,” Fry said in a news release. “Those experiences shaped her, and I believe they give her a real understanding of the challenges families across South Carolina face.”
As the two candidates try to consolidate GOP support ahead of the primary, Fry’s endorsement could help Graham pick up votes the Grand Strand congressman previously won.
Fry finished first in several counties he represents in the Myrtle Beach area in the Aug. 11 primary, including Horry, Georgetown and Florence counties.
Former governor Mark Sanford, the fourth place finisher, has not endorsed in the runoff. Upstate businessman Mark Lynch, who picked up about 6% of votes Tuesday, backed Norman’s campaign, according to a social media post.
Other high-profile South Carolina Republican politicians have also supported Graham over Norman following the primary.
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U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, who is also the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, backed Graham and said she is a “conservative stalwart.”
“If I were going to endorse in the South Carolina GOP Senate primary, I wanted to do so with confidence,” Scott wrote on social media Wednesday. “After watching Darline Graham in the Senate and on the campaign trail, I’m confident she’s the real deal.”
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette also endorsed Graham on Thursday and directly criticized Norman’s campaign.
“In her short time in the Senate, Darline Graham has shown she is willing to act — including supporting an end to the filibuster, something career politicians have talked about for years,” Evette said in a social media post.
Trump endorsed Graham last month, before she announced a campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Fry had endorsed Graham’s brother, Lindsey Graham, in his U.S. Senate reelection campaign. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death triggered a special primary to replace him on the November ballot.
Fry is also running for reelection to represent the 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House.
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