Both candidates in S.C. Senate runoff chase the pro-Israel vote, with very different records

Rep. Ralph Norman and Sen. Darline Graham are competing for the pro-Israel vote in a South Carolina Senate runoff scheduled for Aug. 25, though their records and approaches differ notably.

Norman, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, has maintained rhetorical support for Israel since his 2017 election while voting against major aid packages. He opposed Israel aid bills in February and April 2024 - the first for lacking offsets to cover costs, the second for being tied to Ukraine assistance. He defended these votes by pointing to his support for an Israel aid package that passed the House in November 2023 with offsets included. "There's NO DISCUSSION about any spending reductions to pay for any of this, so we're just supposed to borrow more and more money to pay for this aid?" Norman wrote in a blog post. "It's borderline criminal what we're doing, and it's sad that the United States is no longer able to help a critical ally because of our own abhorrent financial recklessness."

Following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks, Norman signed resolutions and letters condemning the attacks and campus anti-Israel protests. He has criticized former President Joe Biden over waning Israel support and called the White House's Gaza peace plan "a step in the right direction and long overdue," Stating: "We must continue to stand with Israel, ensure Hamas is fully dismantled, and never forget who the terrorists are in this conflict. This is a win for peace, for strength, and for our greatest ally in the Middle East."

Norman voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act in May 2024 and opposed further antisemitism legislation, telling Punchbowl News: "We shouldn't do anything further with antisemitism. I don't know how you define it. It's subjective." He was among five lawmakers voting against the Never Again Education Act in 2020 but supported its 2023 reauthorization.

Graham, appointed to fill her late brother's Senate seat in mid-July, has begun cosponsoring legislation on Israel and Iran. She announced Thursday she was cosponsoring four bills addressing U.S.-Israel partnership, Iran sanctions, and antisemitism. "I truly believe we have a moral and religious duty to stand with the Jewish people and the nation of Israel to guard against those who seek to destroy them," Graham said. At the primary debate, she stated: "I completely agree with President Trump on standing with Israel. They are an extremely important ally of the United States. We cannot allow terrorists to build nuclear missiles because they're going to want to kill Americans, that is just the sad truth."

Norman has been endorsed by Sen. Rick Scott, while Graham has support from Trump and the Republican Jewish Coalition.