South Carolina GOP Senate primary heads to a runoff
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Add Axios on Google South Carolina Republicans Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman. Photos: Finn Gomez & Grant Baldwin.
Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) advanced Tuesday to a runoff in South Carolina's crowded Republican Senate primary, per the AP, extending the fight to succeed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham .
Why it matters: The Aug. 25 runoff will almost certainly determine South Carolina's next senator.
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 contest to a head-to-head fight among the race's three dominant forces.
As votes were counted Tuesday , Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) were neck-and-neck for the No. 2 spot — with Norman ultimately prevailing.
In June , Norman placed third in South Carolina's Republican gubernatorial primary, behind Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Alan Wilson, the state's attorney general.
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.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional developments and context.
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