An unnamed House Republican called South Carolina’s close congressional race “embarrassing” and said Sen. Darline Graham is “dragging Rs down the ticket,” The Hill reported on Friday.
The comments appeared in an exchange shared Thursday on X by NewsNation congressional correspondent Joe Khalil. The member noted Republicans carried the seat by 18 points and said it’s a sign of trouble that Speaker Mike Johnson must visit the 1st Congressional District to help.
The Hill says Johnson is expected there, per WCSC. The member added that the one bright spot is the governor’s race.
Graham faces Democrat Annie Andrews. Decision Desk HQ puts Graham’s chance at 65 percent, while a New York Times/Siena poll found both candidates at 48 percent among likely voters. South Carolina hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998.
Graham was appointed to the seat by Gov. Henry McMaster after her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, died unexpectedly of an aortic dissection. President Donald Trump recently made his third and final visit to the state to back her.
In her short time in office, Graham has run into a number of controversies. She caused outrage by admitting she was "not that informed on national security" in a debate with her primary opponent Ralph Norman, and her husband was recently linked to a firm sanctioned for aiding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.