The candidates endorsed by Donald Trump triumphed on Tuesday in two Republican runoff elections held in South Carolina and Oklahoma, marking a new boost to the president's influence over the Republican Party in the 2026 midterm election cycle.
In South Carolina, Darline Graham Nordone defeated Representative Ralph Norman in the runoff of the special Senate primary, with 52.5% of the votes —193,396— compared to 47.5% for her opponent —175,327—.
Graham Nordone is the younger sister of Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away on July 11 at the age of 71 due to an aortic dissection, leaving his seat vacant.
The governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, appointed her two days later to fill the position on an interim basis, and on July 14, she took the oath of office as the first woman to represent that state in the United States Senate.
Without prior experience in elected positions, Graham Nordone decided to compete for the seat and received explicit support from Trump, which proved to be crucial. In the first round on August 11, he led with 32.7% of the votes compared to Norman's 24.6%.
In Oklahoma, the contest was considerably tighter. State Senator Mike Mazzei defeated the state's attorney general, Gentner Drummond, in the runoff of the Republican primary for governor by a margin of just 2,047 votes: 50.28% to 49.72%, according to the final results.
Mazzei also had Trump's endorsement, which turned this day into a double victory for the former president at a crucial moment in the primary season.
The victories on Tuesday occur in a context where Trump's endorsement track record in 2026 has been strong, though not unbeatable.
According to data from Ballotpedia, the candidates endorsed by Trump had won 220 out of 227 primaries as of July 10, reflecting a success rate of 97%.
However, by mid-August, that record had already accumulated ten losses, including defeats in gubernatorial races in Iowa and Wyoming, which added symbolic pressure to the results of this Tuesday.
In Florida, the primary cycle has also been intense. Byron Donalds won the Republican primary in that state and will run for governor, in another race where Trump's support played a central role.
Both winners from Tuesday —Graham Nordone in South Carolina and Mazzei in Oklahoma— will have to face their respective Democratic rivals in the general elections on November 3, 2026, when the balance of power in Congress and several state executives will be determined.
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