By admin 
Millions of dollars have flowed into South Carolina’s quick race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination including from political groups spending to benefit U.S. Sen. Darline Graham.
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Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman finished first and second respectively in the special primary, so they advanced to a runoff to replace the late Lindsey Graham on the November ballot.
Graham’s candidacy has been bolstered by support from at least three political action committees, coordination with a national Republican Party group and donations from large business executives, while Norman has done more self-fundraising.
The special primary and runoff has cost at least $7 million so far, according to federal campaign finance reports, advertising research firm AdImpact and news releases.
Big spending on U.S. Senate campaigns is not uncommon. Lindsey Graham, who was running for a fifth U.S. Senate term when he died, spent $2.5 million between May 21 and June 30, about 20 days before and after the primary this year. He also saw millions in support from super PACs.
Graham’s candidacy gets outside support
Darline Graham raised nearly $700,000, according to a prerunoff finance report and large donation disclosures. She saw large donations from across the country, including from many large businesses and executives, political action committees and other congressional campaigns.
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing’s political action committee, the CEO of private equity firm Blackstone, the head of public policy for social media platform TikTok and the head of defense chief of staff at technology company Palantir are among Graham’s large donors.
“When people give to me, that means they support me,” Graham told reporters Aug. 10. “That doesn’t necessarily mean I support them.”
Much of the money spent on political advertising supporting her, or attacking her opponents, were produced by groups separate from the campaign, including super PACs that backed her brother and a renewable energy-backed group. Super PACs cannot coordinate with the campaigns they prop up.
“She’s [Graham] been supported by the Washington elite,” Norman said. “That’s where her money is coming from.”
Super PACs Security is Strength and Palmetto Action have spent well over $1 million each this election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission filings and Ad Impact.
Security is Strength has spent more than $1.5 million, including on digital ads, broadcast and mailers this special primary election, before and after Aug. 11. Some ads supported Darline Graham and others only criticized her opponents.
After the primary, Palmetto Action spent $1.26 million targeting Norman, according to Federal Election Commission records. Federal campaign records don’t clarify whether the ads support or oppose a candidate, but the super PAC has supported Darline and Lindsey Graham.
And Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, a renewable energy-backed political group, committed to spending $1 million “to defeat” Norman in a news release Aug. 14. The political action committee’s ad does not mention renewable energy and claims Norman has not sufficiently supported Donald Trump.
The super PAC spent millions against Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in his bid for reelection in Tennessee and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy in his campaign for Texas attorney general. Invest in Tomorrow Coalition has gone on broadcast television with its anti-Norman ads in South Carolina, according to Federal Communications Commission records.
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“We’ve repeatedly made clear there is now a cost to standing in the way of the American clean energy industry,” said super PAC chairman Tom Matzzie in a news release.
“We are not so much interested in Darline Graham’s politics as we are Ralph Norman’s,” Matzzie also said in an emailed statement. Norman pushed to phase out renewable energy tax credits faster through the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a massive federal tax and spending bill passed in July 2025.
Norman told reporters some of the ads made him laugh, but they were not accurate.
Graham’s campaign has coordinated with the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which was allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this summer. The political party helped pay for advertisements and received approval from Graham’s campaign.
Norman spends his own money on candidacy
Norman has seen less outside support, but his campaign has advertised on TV ahead of the runoff. Norman, a real estate developer, has self-funded a large portion of his own campaign.
Norman has brought in more than $1.5 million so far, according to prerunoff and primary finance reports and large donation disclosures. That includes two loans equaling $800,000 from Norman to his campaign.
The congressman received some hefty contributions from political groups including $10,000 from Nikki Haley-aligned Stand for America. The congressman had $200,000 in ad support ahead of the Aug. 11 primary, according to Ad Impact, far below Graham at $1.8 million.
Norman said Monday his campaign would not run negative ads against Graham.
“She’s been through a lot,” Norman said. “She really has, losing a brother, I’m not going to do that.”
“I‘m not going negative on her,” he continued. “And I would say that I would go negative if she had a record that I disagreed with. But she hasn’t got a record. She’s unknown.”
Primary candidates also spent big
The Aug. 11 U.S. Senate primary was also expensive for those who did not advance to a runoff. In all, advertising alone for the primary may have cost just under $5 million by Aug. 10, according to firm Ad Impact.
U.S. Rep. Russell Fry raised more than $1.2 million, according to a spending report from early in the campaign and large donation disclosures. Many of his reported contributions of more than $1,000 came from South Carolina donors, including several state lawmakers. Fry finished third in the primary.
Fry’s House fundraising committee poured $500,000 into a super PAC formed July 15, Palmetto Leadership Fund. The congressman had $1.5 million in ad support by Aug. 10, according to Ad Impact.
Former governor and fourth place finisher Mark Sanford had more than $1 million in his congressional campaign account when he announced he would run for U.S. Senate nomination. Sanford raised about $64,610, according to a spending report from early in the campaign and large donation disclosures.
Full reports detailing how much money candidates raised and spent won’t be due until October, long after the special primary concludes.
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