South Carolina voters reject Trump-backed Republican Senate pick

Voters in South Carolina rejected Darline Graham on Tuesday, a defeat for the Republican nominee hand-picked by President Donald Trump. The loss in a deep-red state complicates the party's path to maintaining its majority in the U.S. Senate during the 2026 midterm elections.

Graham had urged by the president to enter the race and received two campaign appearances from Trump in the final weeks of the contest. Despite that support, state voters chose her Democratic opponent, delivering an embarrassing result for the White House.

The outcome is part of a national pattern where voters appear to be treating the election as a referendum on the president's performance. Trump had advised his base to pretend he was on the ballot, a strategy that is now facing early consequences in multiple states.

In other races, Trump’s other hand-picked nominees faltered in Texas and North Carolina. These setbacks collectively imperil the Republican hold on the Senate, while the U.S. House control remains undecided as ballots are counted.

Nationwide, the day ended with relatively few major issues reported in the voting process. The results in South Carolina, Texas, and North Carolina stand out as the primary challenges to the Republican ticket in this midterms cycle.

The South Carolina result marks a distinct shift in the political landscape for the GOP in a state where they have historically secured strong support. The defeat of Graham signals that the president’s direct intervention in candidate selection did not guarantee victory for his chosen nominees.