Interim Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, Graham’s sister and the woman appointed to temporarily fill his seat, led the primary with approximately 33 percent. Norman came in second at 23.5 percent.
Neither reached the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff, setting up a one-on-one showdown on August 25.
The endorsement battle following the primary had initially appeared to favor Graham Nordone.
Rep. Russell Fry, who placed third, threw his support behind Graham Nordone shortly after being eliminated. Sanford, meanwhile, remained conspicuously silent about which candidate he would support.
That changed Friday.
In a lengthy statement posted to X, Sanford explained that he has historically been reluctant to make political endorsements, arguing that voters should generally make those decisions without interference from other politicians.
“With very few exceptions I have refrained from seeking or giving political endorsements because I have long believed the sacred decision of a vote is best left between a candidate and the voter. This was made real in my first run for Congress when everyone had endorsed others without me even having the chance to meet. How could they endorse without even knowing anything about me or what I wanted to do? I have also been circumspect here because every candidate brings with them a unique perspective, background and set of campaign goals and promises,” the former governor posted on X.
Sanford made clear that his decision was not based on personal animosity toward Graham Nordone.
“One, my prayers continue to go out to Darline Graham. I know her to be a good lady and my relationship to her late brother, her staff and many of her supporters had me wanting to do as I had done so many times before and stay neutral in this race,” he continued.
But Sanford ultimately pointed to a subject that has defined much of his own political career: federal spending and the national debt.
While acknowledging that he and Norman do not see eye-to-eye on every issue, Sanford praised Norman’s reliably conservative record and argued that Washington’s worsening fiscal situation made remaining neutral impossible.
“And all of this brings me to a binary choice, not only on the bigger question of less government and more freedom, but on who do I believe holds the best shot at holding the line on government spending, our debt and its accompanying deficits? I am freaked about this issue given our crossing of the $40 trillion federal debt mark this week. It has heinous implications for all of us. And so as much as I would like to honor tradition and old friendships, the stakes are simply too high as our nation really is at a financial tipping point,” Sanford continued.
He then delivered his endorsement directly.
“It’s for these reasons and more that I will be voting for Ralph on Tuesday and respectfully ask that you do the same.”
Norman welcomed the endorsement, saying he was honored to have Sanford’s support while pointing to his own record in Congress.
Sanford’s backing also follows an endorsement from his son, Landon Sanford, who publicly came out for Norman earlier in the runoff campaign.
Norman has additionally secured the support of Mark Lynch, a former Republican candidate who previously challenged Lindsey Graham.
Whether those endorsements will be enough to propel Norman past Graham Nordone remains uncertain.
No public polling specifically measuring the August 25 head-to-head runoff has been released, leaving both campaigns without a reliable public snapshot of the electorate as voting approaches.
There are, however, signs that the race may have tightened.
Prediction-market traders have become considerably more bullish on Norman over the past week. On Kalshi, his implied probability reportedly climbed from roughly 17 percent to around 32-33 percent by August 21.
Graham Nordone remains the favorite, but her implied odds have fallen to roughly 67 percent after previously reaching the 78-89 percent range during portions of the runoff campaign.
Other prediction platforms have shown a similar shift following the candidates’ debate.
Prediction markets are not scientific opinion polls and do not necessarily reflect how South Carolina Republicans will vote, but the movement suggests traders increasingly see Norman as having a plausible path to an upset.
That makes Sanford’s endorsement particularly notable.
Norman entered the runoff as the clear underdog against an appointed incumbent carrying one of South Carolina’s most recognizable political names. Now, with Sanford’s supporters suddenly being encouraged to line up behind him, Norman has an opportunity to consolidate another bloc of Republican voters.
And with neither candidate having come remotely close to 50 percent in the first round, the votes cast for eliminated candidates could prove decisive.
South Carolina Republicans will have the final say Tuesday.
For Norman, the closing argument is increasingly straightforward: unite conservatives behind his congressional record, make the race a referendum on Washington spending, and convince enough voters that the underdog can pull off one more surprise.
