South Carolina Politics & News
The Daily Signal covers South Carolina politics with reporting on state leadership, education policy, economic development, and the Palmetto State’s role in presidential primaries and conservative policymaking.
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analysis
Climate Activist Money Meddles in GOP Primaries, Using MAGA Messaging
Republican voters who see ads attacking South Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Ralph Norman as insufficiently MAGA might be surprised to learn about the major donor behind those messages. “Ralph Norman: MAGA Traitor,” reads one ad from the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC. “Ralph Norman betrayed President [Donald] Trump by endorsing against him in 2024. …… -
analysis
3rd State Strikes Latest Blow Against Media Blacklists
South Carolina is the latest state to push back against media-rating organizations that have helped blacklist conservative news outlets. In the 2026-27 state budget, lawmakers included a provision barring state agencies from spending taxpayer dollars with advertising companies that use media-monitoring systems to determine which news outlets receive advertising dollars. Gov. Henry McMaster signed the… -
news
Darline Graham Admits in Debate She Lacks National Security Knowledge
During South Carolina’s Republican Senate primary debate on Tuesday, the sister of former Sen. Lindsey Graham failed to answer a national security question when asked by the moderator, admitting “national security is not my thing.” “Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security threats to the United States, and if so, why?” the moderator… -
opinion
Rest Well, Young Patriot: Archeological Discoveries From the Battle of Camden
War is cruel. The Battle of Camden illustrates this, and recent discoveries on that battlefield shed light on the events of Aug. 16, 1780. Fought in the summer heat of South Carolina’s Midlands, Camden stands as one of the most consequential battles of the American Revolution. Though a disastrous loss for the Patriots, it became a turning point in… -
news
In Death, Lindsey Graham Still Shapes World Stage
World leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to honor the life and legacy of Lindsey Graham. Memorials took place across the city throughout the day, sparking foreign policy meetings at the White House and trade deals as the Senate prepared to vote on a Russia sanctions bill in the evening. President Donald Trump, Vice… -
news
‘I’m In’: South Carolina Race Grows Crowded as Trump-Endorsed Sister of Lindsey Graham Announces Candidacy
The South Carolina race to replace former U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died of heart complications in July, intensified Monday as Graham’s sister announced she’s running for a full term, and a second U.S. representative tossed his hat into the ring. Darline Graham Nordone, who was sworn in last Monday to serve the remainder of… -
news
Trump Ally Wants Lindsey Graham’s Senate Seat. Will Anyone Stand in His Way?
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a South Carolina Republican, plans to run for the U.S. Senate in the state following the death of longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham, Norman said on Saturday. “I will be laser-focused on passing President Trump’s America First (agenda),” Norman said in an interview with Fox News. In a post on his campaign… -
news
Here’s What’s Next for the Senate After Sudden Passing of Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died from heart failure this past weekend, forcing Republicans to scramble to find another candidate to take his place on the ballot. While South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to serve as interim senator, the late senator was up for reelection in 2026. His sudden… -
news
Darline Graham Nordone Will Replace Her Late Brother in the US Senate, S.C. Governor Says
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced Monday that Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, will serve in the U.S. Senate for the remainder of her brother’s term following his death over the weekend. Speaking at a press conference in Columbia, McMaster formally named Nordone to fill the vacancy left by… -
news
Lindsey Graham’s Sister Should Replace Him, Trump Says
President Donald Trump on Monday urged South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to appoint the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to serve as the state’s interim U.S. senator. The recommendation came two days after Graham died following heart complications. “I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as… -
news
Lindsey Graham Remembered for His ‘Sparkling Humor,’ Devotion to Serving America
“We have lost a gentleman from an older era of civility and selflessness.” So wrote Harmeet K. Dhillon, deputy attorney general for Civil Rights on the surprise death of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. Graham, a Republican, died Saturday evening at the age of 71 after what his office called a “brief and sudden illness.”… -
breaking
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies at 71
Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died of a “brief and sudden illness” on Saturday, his Senate office announced early Sunday morning. Graham was 71. “On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a brief statement. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at… -
opinion
250 Years Later, Charleston Celebrates Carolina Day
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Charleston, South Carolina, marks the 250th anniversary of Carolina Day on June 28, 2026. This day commemorates the American victory at the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, the first major Revolutionary War success in South Carolina. The triumph boosted patriot morale, rallied support for independence, and helped pave the way… -
news
South Carolina Republicans Reject Redistricting
Despite being newly empowered by the Callais v. Louisiana Supreme Court ruling, South Carolina’s Republican-controlled Senate rejected moving ahead with a redistricting plan that would have likely unseated the state’s sole Democrat in Congress, Rep. Jim Clyburn. On Tuesday, the state Senate voted by a 29-17 margin to allow for the General Assembly to work on… -
news
Cory Mills Questions Mace as She Doubles Down on Expulsion Attempt
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., told The Daily Signal that Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., introduced a resolution to expel him from the U.S. House of Representatives as a deflection from her own personal controversies. “We do know for a fact that she’s currently under attack,” Mills said. “Her ex-fiancé had to file a restraining order for… -
opinion
South Carolina Lawmakers Must Protect Parent Rights. Here’s What Families Need to Know.
It happened again: A parent, this one in South Carolina, has accused teachers at her child’s school of hiding information about him from his family. Fortunately, state lawmakers are considering a proposal to protect parents from educators who insert a wedge between them and their children. Members of the state’s House of Representatives have advanced… -
opinion
Taxpayers Forced to Fund University Drag Shows
My brother is being forced to pay for a drag queen performance. At the University of South Carolina Beaufort campus, my brother (Jesse speaking here), freshman Joshua Castrinos, was leaving his rhetoric and composition class when he noticed a flyer on the bulletin board for a drag queen bingo show: The show is being sponsored… -
opinion
SC Lawmakers Seem to Be Allergic to Educational Opportunity
Why do South Carolina lawmakers want to make it more difficult for families to educate their children? Lawmakers are misinterpreting the very law they approved just last year that creates more learning opportunities, and now the state is on the brink of becoming one of the least family-friendly locales in the southeast. Fortunately, other state… -
opinion
Families Fight Back as South Carolina Court Strikes Down School Choice
South Carolina’s school choice program faced a crushing setback when the state’s Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional after hundreds of students had already started classes at new schools. However, a grassroots response has emerged to help families affected by the ruling and to renew legislative efforts to restore educational freedom in the state. On May… -
opinion
Maine Pulls a South Carolina
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. President Donald Trump had a meeting of the governors in the White House recently, this week,…