MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.—President Donald Trump joined Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) on the campaign trail on Aug. 21, as Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), an erstwhile ally of the president, seeks to win an upset from the right. 

“We need every South Carolina patriot to go to the polls and vote for Darline Graham,” Trump urged Republican voters gathered in Myrtle Beach, saying he believes Graham can deliver a win for Republicans in the midterms.

“With your help this November, we’re going to stop the radical left Democrat communists here in South Carolina and all across the nation,” Trump said. “The first step is winning the runoff election this Tuesday. You have to get out August 25th. You have to get out and vote.”

The winner of the runoff will face Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in November, who won her primary on June 9 with about 61.5 percent support.

Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), has served as the junior senator from South Carolina since being appointed to the post in mid-July following her brother’s death. 

The late senator had already won his June 9 primary when he died suddenly from a cardiac illness, prompting the state to set up a special primary election that’s scheduled for Aug. 25.

During the first round of voting on Aug. 11, Darline Graham and Norman won the largest share of the vote, but neither won more than 50 percent so they must head into a runoff election.

Graham, endorsed by Trump, came in first with 32.8 percent of the vote.

However, she has drawn scrutiny in the wake of the Aug. 18 debate in which she stated that “national security is not my thing.”

Norman—the upstate Republican representing the state’s 7th Congressional District—came in second place, with 23.5 percent of the vote.

In response to his opponent’s admission during the debate that she’s not well-informed on national security, Norman said, “This isn’t a get training on the job, you can’t do that.”

Darline Graham’s comment also drew criticism from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who said that national security expertise “is not something you inherit.”

Trump on Aug. 21 addressed the criticism, telling reporters before flying out to South Carolina that Graham “was being honest” with her remarks.

He said he trusts her team, who worked closely with her brother on foreign policy. “She’s surrounded by very good people, and she said that she’s totally for the military,” he said.

Across his political career, Lindsey Graham—representing a state that has some of the most veterans and military families nationwide—was well known for his emphasis on foreign policy and national security.

Norman, who has often made headlines for butting heads with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other Republican leaders, has marketed his lack of endorsement from Trump as a plus for his campaign.

He’s described himself as a Washington outsider, saying he has not won critical Republican endorsements or funding in the race.

Jeffrey, an Uber driver in the area who spoke to The Epoch Times, indicated that he heard more enthusiasm for Norman.

“I’m not sure she’s the right fit,” he said of Graham.

He commented on Norman’s experience as a lawmaker positively, saying he thought the upstate Republican was more qualified.

Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.), a Myrtle Beach-based House lawmaker who has allied closely with Trump, came in third place in the Aug. 11 primary. Fry received 20.4 percent of the vote and has since endorsed Graham.

Former South Carolina governor and U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), a constitutionalist based in the Charleston area, came in fourth place with 15.3 percent of the vote.

An outspoken critic of Trump, Sanford has endorsed Norman for the nomination.

Trump emphasized at the rally that the Senate runoff is an important vote.

“They say again that Trump gets a lot of votes, but if he’s not on the ballot, people don’t vote so much,” he said. “I am on the ballot. We’re all on the ballot. Our country is on the ballot. You have to get out. You have to vote.”

He ended by saying that electing Graham would be a tribute to her brother, who was very close to the president. “I want it to happen,” he said. “Good luck, Darline.”