Darline Graham, who recently secured a narrow victory in a special primary runoff, is positioned to win a six-year Senate term representing South Carolina. Throughout her six-week campaign, she has emphasized her commitment to advancing former President Donald Trump’s agenda, while invoking the legacy of her late brother, Senator Lindsey Graham. However, her policy positions, while often aligning with Trump’s priorities, reveal some distinctions from her brother’s approach.
Ms. Graham has said she intends to prioritize domestic economic concerns, particularly “affordability,” over foreign policy—an area where Lindsey Graham was notably active and vocal. She acknowledged limited expertise on national security matters but expressed trust in Trump to address challenges such as reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing conflicts with Iran, which have contributed to rising fuel prices. She supports increased military spending advocated by Trump and affirms continued U.S. aid to Israel, though she favors exhausting economic options before engaging in military intervention in support of the country.
On legislative matters, Ms. Graham notably diverges from her brother’s stance by endorsing the elimination of the Senate filibuster. Both she and Lindsey Graham have supported the Save America Act, a measure backed by Trump that would impose stringent voting rules, such as nationwide voter ID requirements and restrictions on mail-in ballots. However, she is willing to remove the supermajority threshold to facilitate the bill’s passage, a significant shift from her brother’s more moderate position on Senate rules.
Immigration policy highlights another area of difference. Ms. Graham advocates immediate deportation of individuals residing in the U.S. illegally and opposes birthright citizenship. This hardline stance aligns more closely with Trump’s views than Lindsey Graham’s, who had previously supported amnesty for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children and warned against harsh enforcement measures that could divide the Republican Party. Nonetheless, her brother later took steps to increase funding for immigration enforcement and criticized birthright citizenship, indicating some convergence on immigration issues.
On social issues, Ms. Graham maintains a conservative posture, opposing abortion rights and advocating against transgender girls participating in girls’ sports, positions consistent with her brother’s. She has prioritized anti-abortion policies and received support from prominent pro-life organizations. Regarding social safety nets, she supports maintaining programs like Social Security and Medicare but also calls for measures to reduce dependency through job training and efforts to curb fraud and waste. She opposes proposals such as Medicare for All, citing concerns about fiscal sustainability.
Addressing emerging technologies, Ms. Graham voiced support for artificial intelligence development to maintain U.S. competitiveness with China, while advocating regulatory guardrails. She proposed requirements for data centers to build independent utility infrastructure or subsidize local utilities to mitigate rate increases. Despite her support for tech advancement, she expressed personal apprehension about AI and called for federal oversight.
Following her primary win, Ms. Graham indicated she will rely on her late brother’s Senate staff to maintain constituent services and continuity in office operations. While Lindsey Graham was known to occasionally challenge Trump, including on immigration policy and election integrity, Darline Graham has presented herself as a steadfast ally of the former president. She has refrained from expressing whether she would have certified the 2020 presidential election results and has publicly committed to “having President Trump’s back 100 percent,” signaling a likely alignment with his policies and positions in the Senate.