Republican Lindsey Graham Secures Primary Win In SC Senate Race

South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham won the primary for US Senate on Tuesday and is projected to face off against Democratic pediatrician Annie Andrews in November.

Not Without Controversy: Outlets across the spectrum noted that while Graham won, he did so amongst the backdrop of criticisms from some in the "America First" movement. The Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) said the "contest was not without controversy," highlighting that Graham "was targeted by former allies of Trump's MAGA movement for his hawkish foreign policy and championing of the Iran war." Politico (Lean Left) called Graham's win "a loss for the strict 'America First' wing of the GOP," which includes "former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and former counterterrorism official Joe Kent."

"Decisive" Spending: Politico said "the four-term senator spent big in the final weeks of the campaign to make sure he won, combining with his allies to spend over $18 million in television and digital ads touting his record and endorsement from President Donald Trump." The article said the spending "worked," and kept him from "an embarrassing two-week runoff sprint" against Republican businessperson Mark Lynch who garnered the endorsement of Joe Kent and the "America First" faction of the GOP.

SAVE America Act: The Hill (Center) highlighted Trump congratulating Graham on his win and his calls to "focus on passing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act." The Hill called Graham "a onetime critic of the president turned loyal supporter," adding that he has "shown support for the SAVE America Act" in order to restore trust in our democratic process.

For Context: Although there were six candidates, the contest focused on Graham and Lynch, who received 56.8% and 28.9% of the votes respectively. Another controversial nomination took place in Maine, with Graham Platner winning the Democratic nomination for the US Senate. According to The Guardian (Left), Platner "shrug[ged] off scandals to win."   

Related: Claim Over CA Vote-Count Discrepancy Reportedly Debunked; Democratic Candidates Projected To Win LA

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.