Newz(AP) — Few people have anything bad to say about Darline Graham, who was catapulted from obscurity last month when she was appointed to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham in the U.S. Senate.“I think Darline’s wonderful,” said Kathy Bustos of Mount Pleasant, after attending a Republican forum last week.But that doesn't mean Bustos wants to vote for her in the state's special primary on Tuesday.“I think it’s a very nice gesture for her to have the rest of his term to complete, but I’m not sure that she’s really qualified or ready to be elected to the Senate,” she said.It's a common sentiment among Republican voters pondering an unexpected decision about replacing Lindsey Graham, who was nominated for a fifth term before he died from a tear in his aorta. Darline Graham was often by his side throughout his career, but she remains largely unknown in South Carolina's clubby political circles.President Donald Trump has endorsed her, and she's backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is running television advertising to support her candidacy.However, Graham has been largely absent from the campaign trail, spending most of her time in Washington as an interim senator.
Her appointment to the role, instead of giving her a leg up over the competition, may ultimately hold her back by preventing her from getting to know voters during a weeks-long sprint to Tuesday.A crowded field of contendersShe is up against several well-known Republicans, including Representatives Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, as well as former Gov. The crowded field makes a runoff more likely, and it would be held on Aug. 25.All of them spoke at a Friday meeting of the Fourth District Republican Club in Greenville, but Graham sent a video message, saying she was “in Washington working hard for you." She promised to be "a great friend and ally” to Trump and that she wanted to “earn your vote.”And at a candidate event in Florence on Saturday, where Graham was expected to speak, some of her supporters said they backed the interim senator’s decision to stay in Washington, even if it meant not campaigning.“She committed to not missing votes or not being there to push forward with those bills,” said Teresa Castrinos, who made the hours-long drive from Bluffton to see Graham.
“I feel like she’s putting South Carolina first. “I think Darline’s wonderful,” said Kathy Bustos of Mount Pleasant, after attending a Republican forum last week. But that doesn’t mean Bustos wants to vote for her in the state’s special primary on Tuesday.
“I think it’s a very nice gesture for her to have the rest of his term to complete, but I’m not sure that she’s really qualified or ready to be elected to the Senate,” she said. It’s a common sentiment among Republican voters pondering an unexpected decision about replacing Lindsey Graham, who was nominated for a fifth term before he died from a tear in his aorta. President Donald Trump has endorsed her, and she’s backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is running television advertising to support her candidacy.
However, Graham has been largely absent from the campaign trail, spending most of her time in Washington as an interim senator. A crowded field of contenders She is up against several well-known Republicans, including Representatives Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, as well as former Gov. All of them spoke at a Friday meeting of the Fourth District Republican Club in Greenville, but Graham sent a video message, saying she was “in Washington working hard for you.” She promised to be “a great friend and ally” to Trump and that she wanted to “earn your vote.” And at a candidate event in Florence on Saturday, where Graham was expected to speak, some of her supporters said they backed the interim senator’s decision to stay in Washington, even if it meant not campaigning.
“She committed to not missing votes or not being there to push forward with those bills,” said Teresa Castrinos, who made the hours-long drive from Bluffton to see Graham.
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