The Republican Party is continuing to panic over Darline Graham's Senate bid, with some in the GOP worried that her late brother Lindsey's seat may be in danger of falling to Democrats.
Darline was hand picked by Donald Trump to replace her brother after Lindsey died in July. Trump further encouraged her to run for the nomination to a full term, which she took the President up on.
However, many have called into question Graham's lack of experience and her overall enthusiasm for the job, having joked in an interview that she was going 'to choke Lindsey' for making her run.
In a stunning twist, a new poll this week showed Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews were tied. That spurred Trump to hold another event for her in a state he won by 18 points just two years ago.
Now, a Wall Street Journal report on her campaign has Republican sources blaming Trump for demanding she run, saying they 'could have found a better candidate.'
Ralph Norman, who lost to Graham in the primary, claims his entire family - all of whom are Republicans - are refusing to vote for her.
'The reason he's here is she's lagging in the polls. He's doing it because she is in trouble,' he said.
'He could be in other states like Ohio or Texas that are in trouble, but he's in Rock Hill, South Carolina.'
The Republican Party is continuing to panic over Darline Graham's (pictured) Senate bid, with some in the GOP worried that her late brother Lindsey's seat may be in danger of falling to Democrats
Darline was hand picked by Donald Trump to replace her brother after Lindsey died in July and further encouraged her to run for the nomination to a full term, which she took the President up on
Graham remains a reluctant and inexperienced candidate who has had trouble fundraising and isn't well known to political insiders in her home state.
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She blamed this on being unable to leave Washington while getting up to speed in her new job.
Andrews, a pediatrician and failed Congressional candidate, has blasted Darline as an insider and an advocate for data centers.
'Even though we're a solid red state, it's almost like she had an advantage,' Graham said.
Sources told WSJ that she had become much more engaged in things like preparing to debate and campaigning since a troubling first outing where she claimed 'national security is not my thing.'
She's also gotten help from Trump, who cast Andrews as a radical extremist on social issues - specifically being pro-transgender children - with the shocking nickname of 'Trannie Annie.'
Despite her improvements, Norman remains a committed skeptic and still thinks Graham has something to prove.
'You have to earn the vote. She hasn't done that,' Norman said, while declining to say whether he voted for her.
A new poll this week showed Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews (pictured) were tied, in a stunning twist, and spurred Trump to hold another event for her in a state he won by 18 points just two years ago
Ralph Norman (pictured), who lost to Graham in the primary, claims his entire family - all of whom are Republicans - are refusing to vote for her
'The campaign has been about trying to prop up a candidate.'
South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the US Senate since 1998, when Fritz Hollings of Charleston won his final term, serving until 2005.
Trump, who became a close friend of Lindsey's and even spoke at his funeral, has become personally invested in the race, holding multiple rallies for Darline.
Trump has accused Andrews of backing 'Transgender for Everyone, Open Borders, Defunding the Police, High Taxes, a Weak Military,' and efforts to strip Americans of their guns.
'Trannie is not for South Carolina, and South Carolina must show, in the upcoming Election, that it is not for her. VOTE FOR DARLINE GRAHAM,' Trump declared in a Truth Social post last month.
Andrews fired back at the time by steering the fight toward kitchen-table issues and her experience as a mother and pediatrician.
One of the biggest criticisms against Darline has been a lack of policy chops.
Despite supporting her late brother's career for years, Darline had not previously held elected office.
When Darline took the stage next to Trump at a rally in Pendleton, South Carolina, last week, she spoke for less than two minutes and laid praise on the president.
At the rally, Darline called him 'one of Lindsey's greatest friends,' adding that Trump 'will always be a part of the Graham family.'
Last month, the GOP allocated an additional $5 million in South Carolina to support Darline.
The influx of cash was being sent as an 'insurance policy,' per Axios, to keep a seat in Republicans' hands that Lindsey had always won by more than 10 percent.
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