Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., endorsed Sen. Darline Graham on Wednesday ahead of the Aug. 25 Republican Senate runoff, backing the appointed incumbent after she finished first in Tuesday's crowded special primary.

Scott said he wanted to endorse a candidate only after being confident in her record and campaign, calling Graham a “conservative stalwart” and praising her focus on economic issues and South Carolina values.

“After watching Darline Graham in the Senate and on the campaign trail, I'm confident she's the real deal,” Scott wrote. “Her first-place finish last night was remarkable, but not surprising.”

Scott's endorsement carries added weight because he chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP's campaign arm responsible for helping elect Republicans to the chamber. He said he voted for Graham in Tuesday's primary and plans to support her again in the runoff.

Graham will face Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in the Aug. 25 runoff after neither candidate secured the majority needed to win the nomination outright. Graham led the 10-candidate field with 33% of the vote, while Norman finished second with 25%.

Graham is serving the remainder of the Senate term of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who died in July. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to the seat, and she was sworn into the Senate last month.

Scott's endorsement gives Graham another prominent Republican supporter as she works to consolidate GOP voters. President Donald Trump has also endorsed Graham and held a tele-rally on her behalf ahead of Tuesday's primary.

Graham said she was “truly humbled” by Scott's endorsement and praised him as a “rock-solid conservative and a leader in the Republican Party.”

Norman, a member of the House Freedom Caucus who has represented South Carolina's 5th Congressional District since 2017, has emphasized his conservative record and experience as he seeks to overtake Graham in the runoff.

The winner will advance to the November general election against Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a Charleston-area pediatrician who previously ran for Congress in 2022.