Darlene Graham and Ralph Norman have advanced to the second round of the Republican primary for the Senate in South Carolina. Graham was sworn in as the interim senator last month following the death of her brother, Lindsey Graham, with whom she was paired to complete his term. Her campaign relied on name recognition and a narrow lead in the polls ahead of the special primary on Tuesday, where polls predicted a highly competitive contest for the second place in the race.
Ralph Norman secured his place in the second round by defeating opponents Russell Fry, an incumbent congressman, and Mark Sanford, the former governor. This race was characterised by an exceptionally close result, with Norman, Fry, and Sanford in the latest poll by the Trafalgar Group having votes within one point of each other. Norman’s success in the tight race allows him to face Graham in the decisive part of the primary process.
In the broader context of US political developments, primary results are also coming in from other states. Minnesota is seeing a victory for a progressive candidate in the Senate race, while the race for governor in Wisconsin remains highly close. Additional data on the election outcome is available from Vermont, Alabama, and Connecticut, indicating a dynamic political landscape across several regions.
Parallel to these elections, Pete Hegseth has been appointed to a key body advising the Pentagon. His appointment is part of a broader trend of including individuals with ties to capital markets in defence strategy. Among those appointed to the advisory body are two men linked to a venture capital firm led by Donald Trump Jr., which has profitable investments in military and space technology.
Marc Andreessen, whose firm Andreessen Horowitz (known as ‘a16z’) is one of the largest venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, has also been appointed to the Defence Policy Board. Andreessen Horowitz is investing jointly with Trump’s partnership 1789 Capital in three defence contractors. Blake Masters, another new member of the board, sits on the boards of three companies linked to 1789 Capital, further linking the technology sector to defence policy.
