Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) expressed support for nuking the Senate filibuster and pledged to stand “100% behind” President Trump during a debate Monday in the South Carolina Senate primary race for her late brother’s seat.
The debate marked Graham’s first political test in her barely two-week-old campaign to succeed one of the most influential GOP senators in history – her older brother, Lindsey Graham, who died of an aortic rupture last month.
“One of the first things I did was co-sponsor the Save America Act,” Darline Graham noted. “As I said earlier, I’m willing to stay through recess to get it done. What’s up with recess anyway? Who gets a month off from work?
“I think we should stay up there and work and get it done.”
Graham indicated that she’s willing to scrap the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to pass the Trump-backed voting integrity bill – noting that it’s a step further than Lindsey would go in support of mandatory voter-ID legislation.
“I am all for – this is where I differ from my brother – getting rid of the filibuster to get this done, because eventually the Democrats are going to get rid of it anyway,” she said.
At Trump’s urging, Graham was sworn in to the Senate on July 14, just days after Lindsey’s death, and will at the very least finish out her late brother’s term in office, which ends in early January.
A political novice, Graham was subsequently encouraged and endorsed by the president to run for a full six-year term.
“I completely support the president’s agenda. I’m 100% behind him,” Graham responded, when asked how she would reconcile any differences between Trump’s agenda and what’s best for the Palmetto State.
Graham is vying against Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Russell Fry (R-SC), businessman Mark Lynch and former congressman and governor Mark Sanford for the GOP Senate nomination.
She brought a little southern heat to the debate stage after Lynch accused her late brother of supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants and attacking him on the campaign trail.
“Mr. Lynch mentioned Lindsey Graham multiple times, and I don’t know if he’s afraid that Lindsey beat him and now his little sister is going to beat him, but I just don’t like hearing that,” she said in her closing remarks.
The South Carolina GOP Senate primary will be held on Aug. 11.
