2026-08-03T20:15:46.823Z / 路透社
华盛顿，8月3日路透电——唐纳德·特朗普总统提名林赛·格雷厄姆的妹妹出任南卡罗来纳州下一任联邦参议员的举动，遭遇了共和党选民和竞争对手的意外抵制，这场竞争激烈的初选将考验特朗普在这个他的铁杆支持州的政治影响力边界。
联邦参议员林赛·格雷厄姆于7月11日因心脏病去世，享年71岁。州长亨利·麦克马斯特随后任命他的妹妹达琳·格雷厄姆完成其剩余任期，该任期将于明年1月结束。
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特朗普称这一任命是“绝佳的致敬”，并敦促选民在8月11日的特别选举中投票选举她完成完整的六年任期，承诺将给出“完全且无条件的背书”。
部分共和党人表示，达琳·格雷厄姆作为兄长席位的临时接任者是合适的，但反对特朗普推动她竞选完整任期，他们认为尽管有总统背书，选民仍应从仍十分拥挤的候选人阵营中做出选择。
曾在州长选举中失利的共和党联邦众议员南希·梅斯表示，该州保守派选民对总统的背书感到不满。
“他支持的候选人在州长选举中失利了，他支持的这位参议员候选人也会落选，”梅斯说道，她本人支持联邦众议员拉尔夫·诺曼。“这是一个千载难逢的机会，能够选出一位久经考验的真正保守派。”
她表示，总统的背书“能帮你进入决选”，“但无法帮你获胜。如今要赢得选举，光靠背书已经不够了。”
如果没有候选人获得多数票，得票前两名的候选人将于8月25日进行决选。
捐赠者质疑其资质
支持者表示，该州最受欢迎的政客——包括特朗普和联邦参议员蒂姆·斯科特——都对达琳·格雷厄姆给予了正面评价，她在民调中也处于领先位置。
但在采访中，共和党捐赠者称达琳·格雷厄姆一直借哀悼期和兄长的姓氏回避公众视线，指出她极少接受记者采访，且在宣誓就职后，提及她全名“达琳·格雷厄姆·诺登”的场合迅速减少。他们还表示，她缺乏担任完整任期参议员所需的资质。
格雷厄姆的竞选团队未回应多次置评请求，但她在接受福克斯新闻主持人肖恩·汉尼提采访时表示，从政并非她曾经的梦想。
“那是林赛的人生，不是我的，”她说。“但当他们邀请我时，我没有犹豫太久……我知道我必须站出来，延续他的政治遗产。”
格雷厄姆将参加周一晚间的辩论，届时将有五名候选人同台。
九名候选人角逐提名
至少有九名候选人正在争夺共和党提名，其中包括两名联邦众议员、一名前州长以及曾在最初的初选中挑战林赛·格雷厄姆的富商。另有一名候选人对自己能否入选 ballot 提出了质疑。
林赛·格雷厄姆的前助手表示，竞争对手将互相攻伐，以在决选中脱颖而出，成为格雷厄姆妹妹的替代人选。
这位前助手驳斥了“达琳·格雷厄姆竞选活动低调、回避公众审查”的批评，称林赛·格雷厄姆的团队需要在华盛顿和南卡罗来纳州为这位国际人物迅速筹备葬礼，同时还要将她从普通民众转变为参议员，时间十分紧张。
“当人们更多地了解她、看到她更多表现时，会对她印象深刻的，”这位前助手说道。
自筹资金的共和党圈外人马克·林奇曾在此前的参议院初选竞选中获得13.4万张选票，尽管当时胜算渺茫。他表示，选民担心达琳·格雷厄姆没有从政记录，不足以代表该州。
林奇、梅斯等人还质疑她是否符合参选资格，依据是州共和党党纲要求候选人必须在过去三次全州共和党初选中至少投票参与过两次。
“人们对‘达琳·格雷厄姆的加冕礼’感到愤怒，”林奇说。“任命她担任明年1月之前的临时参议员没问题，但让她竞选公职就不行了。”
近期民调显示，格雷厄姆以两位数优势领先，诺曼、联邦众议员拉塞尔·弗莱和前州长马克·桑福德正在争夺第二个决选席位。
曾在州长选举中失利的诺曼的盟友表示，由于拥有长期保守的立法记录，他在决选中对抗达琳·格雷厄姆时处于最佳位置。诺曼的竞选团队未回应置评请求。
弗莱的竞选顾问表示，选民将41岁的弗莱视为能为参议院带来变革的代际变革候选人。弗莱是特朗普的盟友，被视为政坛新星。
诺兰·D·麦卡斯基尔报道
迈克尔·利尔蒙特和霍华德·戈勒编辑
Trump wanted a Lindsey Graham tribute. South Carolina Republicans want a choice
2026-08-03T20:15:46.823Z / Reuters
WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s bid to install Lindsey Graham’s sister as South Carolina’s next senator has met unexpected resistance from Republican voters and rivals, setting up a crowded primary that will test the limits of Trump’s political influence in one of his strongest states.
After Senator Lindsey Graham died on July 11 at age 71 from a heart ailment, Governor Henry McMaster appointed his sister, Darline Graham, to serve the remainder of his term, which expires in January.
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Trump called the appointment a “fabulous tribute” and urged voters to elect her to a full six-year term in the August 11 special election, promising his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
Some Republicans say Darline Graham is a fitting caretaker for her brother’s seat but oppose Trump’s push to elect her to a full term, arguing voters should choose from a field that remains crowded despite the president’s endorsement.
U.S. Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for governor, said South Carolina’s conservative voters were upset by the president’s endorsement.
“His candidate lost in the governor’s race, and his candidate’s going to lose in the Senate race,” said Mace, who is supporting U.S. Representative Ralph Norman. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put in a tried and true conservative.”
The president’s endorsement “gets you into a runoff,” she said, “but it doesn’t get you to win. It’s not enough to win a race anymore.”
The runoff between the top two vote-getters will be on August 25 if no single candidate wins a majority.
DONORS QUESTION CREDENTIALS
Supporters say the most popular politicians in the state — including Trump and Senator Tim Scott — have spoken favorably of Darline Graham, who is leading in opinion polls.
In interviews, however, Republican donors said Darline Graham has hidden behind the grieving process and her brother’s surname, noting how little she has engaged with reporters and how quickly references to her full name — Darline Graham Nordone — have disappeared since she was sworn in. They also say she lacks the credentials to merit serving a full term.
Graham’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but she told Sean Hannity of Fox News that being a politician was not something she ever wanted.
“That was Lindsey’s life, not mine,” she said. “But when they asked, it didn’t take me long. … I knew that I had to step up. I had to carry on his legacy.”
Graham will be one of five candidates at a debate on Monday night.
NINE CANDIDATES VIE FOR NOMINATION
At least nine candidates are seeking the Republican nomination, including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, a former governor and a wealthy businessman who ran against Lindsey Graham in the original primary. A 10th candidate has challenged whether he can appear on the ballot.
A former aide to Lindsey Graham said rival candidates will tear into one another to emerge as the alternative to Graham’s sister in a runoff.
The former aide rejected criticism that Darline Graham has run a low-profile campaign and avoided public scrutiny, noting how quickly Lindsey Graham’s team had to organize funerals in Washington and South Carolina for an international figure while transitioning her from private citizen to senator.
“People will be really impressed when they learn more and see more of her,” the former aide said.
Mark Lynch, a self-funding Republican outsider who got 134,000 primary votes in his longshot Senate bid, said voters are concerned that Darline Graham isn’t qualified to represent the state because she has no record.
Lynch, Mace and others also disputed whether she’s eligible to run, citing a state party rule requiring that candidates vote in at least two of the previous three statewide Republican primaries.
“People are furious” about “the coronation of Darline Graham,” Lynch said. “It’s OK that they picked her to be the interim senator until January but not to run for office.”
Recent polls show Graham leading by a double-digit margin, with Norman, U.S. Representative Russell Fry and former Governor Mark Sanford competing for the second runoff spot.
Allies of Norman, who ran unsuccessfully for governor, say he is best positioned to win the Republican nomination in a runoff against Darline Graham because he has a long conservative legislative record. Norman’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
A campaign consultant for Fry said voters see the 41-year-old as a generational change candidate who could shake things up in the Senate. Fry is a Trump ally who is considered a rising star.
Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill. Editing by Michael Learmonth and Howard Goller
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