Vehement Special Election Voter Voices

This podcast is made possible through listener contributions to the ETV Endowment of South Carolina. From South Carolina Public Radio, this is the South Carolina lead. I'm your host, Gavin Jackson, and this episode was recorded on August 11, 2026 from South Carolina Public Radio Studios here in Columbia. Just so you know, me and AT are in the same studio right now. Hi. You can hear him. Yep. We'll be making some noise just because our other studio is getting a much-needed facelift. We're all getting facelifts, so we're here. But if you hear laughing in the background, that's big. Or heavy breathing. But yeah, we're not going to have a wind down. We're kind of running and gunning today, guys. Obviously, we're dropping this late because of reasons. But on this episode of the lead, it's a special election day. And you already heard from the candidates in the Senate Republican race. And now you're going to hear from the voters as well as President Donald Trump and his influence on this race. Also, I was at Joint Base Charleston, now Joint Base Lindsey Graham on Monday, hence our delay. So I'm bringing you clips from that event as well. And if you're listening today. The day of the election, we will be live on South Carolina Public Radio, SCETV, and our digital platforms from 8 to 9 p.m. tonight for special coverage with reports from folks in the field and in studio analysis from USC's Kirk Randazzo. So tune in tonight. You'll be able to find it on YouTube.com slash SCETV News. And we want to find you on the lead that you can do that by calling 803-563-7169. Come on down to the wind down. We're not going to have a wind down today. I know we're all over the place for the wind downs and the schedules. I promise we'll get to normalcy soon. But we want to have something in the hopper for when we get back to the wind down. So let us know what's going with you. I think the dog days of summer are wrapping up. Books are going back to school. Things are happening. Vacations are probably wrapping up too. Let us know what you're doing. 803-563-7169. I am looking forward to the last week of August. That's what I'm looking forward to. Oh, totally. Totally. He gets it. Oh, you're so right, Gavin. This is what he normally hears. Like the hype guy, like, oh, yeah. Totally.

All right, let's look at what's on tap this week at the State House. They are in session today. My own instructor is up there covering that for us. Up in Congress, the House and the Senate are in August recess. So they are back in their districts and their states on the... Sorry. Sorry. All right. Nice. Nice. On the economic calendar, we get July inflation numbers on Wednesday. And Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin is speaking in Greenville on Thursday. Friday, we get U.S. retail sales data for July. All right, let's go ahead and kick this off by looking at the eve of today's primary. That was yesterday on Monday. President Donald Trump held a tele-rally for Senator Darlene Graham, which is very similar to what he did for Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evert the day before the June 9th primary. His endorsement in this race and its impact, like we watched in the gubernatorial primary, is something we'll be watching closely today, and especially if Graham makes it into a runoff as expected, and then the knives really come out for her. So here's Trump talking during that teller rally yesterday. So we all missed the late great Senator Lindsey Graham, why do we miss him? And he's just a very, he was just a good guy. He was very capable, but he was a good guy. And we're thankful for his contribution to our country to South Carolina. But out of all his achievements, he would say it all the time. The thing he was most proud of was his sister, Darlene, the way she turned out. And Darlene is, she's tough. She looks. So nice, but she's actually tough and strong, and she's the perfect person to carry on Lindsay's legacy and, frankly, what I want to do, and we're accomplishing things at a record pace like nobody's ever seen before. Darlina spent years serving South Carolina by transforming an important state agency into a national model, helping to build a stronger workforce and provide critical assistance to South Carolina families. She's a pillar of her community. and widely beloved all over the state, and in the wake of her brother's death, she stepped up and served your state with tremendous poise and distinction. And I must tell you, I asked Darlene, I said, let's go for it, Darlene. I know exactly where you come from. I know you and I know Lindsay, and this is what he would have wanted. But I asked Darlene, Darlene had no intention of doing it. And I said, you've got to do it. It's the best thing, you're the best person for it. And so she wasn't, she wasn't the one to jump. And I was the one to ask her to jump in. And she agreed. Shortly after that town hall, I did get a text from the Graham campaign with a video he cut for her. As part of an advertisement, so many text messages have been used in this campaign. I'm sure you're going to bunch too. But that's a little bit more than what Eva got. But again, we've seen the limits of Trump's involvement in these primaries, and they basically are these telephone rallies. That candidates actually shout out big bucks for, but here's what Graham had to say in that call.

Additionally, I've signed onto legislation to crack down on fraud, support the unborn, and support President Trump's immigration policies that have finally secured our border. Mr. President, no president has done more to secure our border than you. And as the president mentioned, I also cast the deciding vote to confirm President Trump's nominee for Attorney General Todd Blanche. I think he's an outstanding choice. I am pro-life. I believe that every life is precious. Boys definitely don't belong in girls' sports. When it comes to the Second Amendment, gun control should only apply to how steady you hold your gun. And when it comes to making sure South Carolina has a seat at the table, I will be a tireless advocate for our interest. I'm not a politician. I'm a mother and a grandmother who knows the struggles of South Carolina families because I've lived them too. I'm a problem solver and a committed conservative fighter. And I'd like to set the record straight on one thing. I effectively and efficiently ran an agency that helped people who were blind find jobs so that they don't have to rely on the government, therefore saving taxpayers' dollars. But do voters you care about the Trump endorsement, this gold standard, as Graham put it? Well, kind of not so much. The consensus of those people that I spoke with said essentially no, but it doesn't hurt. That's similar to what we heard in the gubernatorial primary, and folks were even more direct back then. But here are some folks I spoke with over the past few days during the three-day in-person early voting period last week. So let's start up in Wahala at the Oconi County voter registration and elections office where I had seen the late Senator Graham vote several times before. That's where I talked with Frank Owens, who told me about why he was voting for Darlene. I vote for Darlene. Okay. Can you tell me why? Like what your connection is? I like her demeanor, the way she talks to people, and also like her platform. Yeah, I had looked at a couple others. And that was final decision probably came during the debate a little bit. You had to narrow it down a little bit there. I think just like a lot of people, the economy and like to see the war finished. Education definitely on top of my list. And just wrapping up President Donald Trump, his endorsement, did that make a difference for you? I think I would have gone with Arlene either way, but it's always nice that they're able to work with the president. Robert Heron told me former governor and congressman Mark Sanford was his guy. He's experienced. I like his policies. He just wanted to cut back on things. And, you know, I like an individual. I think it'd be good. Did you previously vote for Senator Graham when he was on the ballot? Right, I voted for Graham all the time. And what about his sister darling? Was that not? I was close.

But Mark, just because of his experience and his background, is the difference for you? Heron said off camera that he likes Sanford's independent streak and ability to vote for the Trump agenda, but also stand up against it when needed, especially since his top issues align with Sanford's. And that is... Money. It's been a lot money. Why too much? A lot of voters are like the candidates, and they are focusing more on domestic issues and affordability compared to the late Center's balancing act of such things, but also devoting a substantial amount of time to foreign policy in the name of national security. On Thursday, I was in Lexington, and the voters were also kind of keeping it close to their chest. That's fine. That's your right, of course, absolutely, but I just, I get a little hurt when people repeatedly reject me. No. No. No. It's okay. It's part of the job. It's part of the job. But I did speak with Kathy McKay who would not tell me who she voted for, but she did tell me who she did not vote for. And what about the late Senator Graham? Were you a fan of his? Oh, yes. Yes. And do you want to see someone do similar actions like he did? Do you want to see maybe someone who's less interventionist? How would you describe maybe who you were looking for? I want somebody like he was to be an advocate for this. state of South Carolina. I think unfortunately we lost a lot when we lost Senator Graham. You know, he'd been there long enough, he knew the game, he knew how to play it. So we need somebody that can take that place for South Carolina and the people of South Carolina. And maybe anyone you don't like in the race, no. Actually, yeah. I really don't feel like that I'm obviously not the only one that Mark Sanford should be right. I just don't like the way his previous. I liked him as a governor, but I think the way he left the way he left, I just don't think he's a good representative of South Carolina. Thursday evening, I scoot it on down to Charleston, which is in the low country. You guys know if you're looking at the map? Our beautiful state. And there was the second SCGOP stump held in partnership with Republican gubernatorial nominee Alan Wilson, who is not endorsing in this primary. Maybe in the runoff. Maybe I don't know, TBD. But there I spoke with several genteel folks. It helps when there's a bar. I'll say that. And me and McEnard were floating around and spoke to a group of women who volunteered their friend, Gigi Vray. There was a movie back in 1959, Gigi, and that's my given name. It's all my passport. Solid name. And unlike Kathy, Gigi is supporting Sanford. Here's why.

Well, I'm here because I really like the issues and I feel that there's a strong race of Republican primary candidates and I want to throw my support for my candidate and he got in last in the race, but I think he's a good man and he's got a good shot at Mark Sanford. She told me about her top issue and why she thinks Sanford is a good fit. It's all about taxes, and so he's very physically conservative, and I think everybody wants to raise, raise, raise taxes. We have more and more people coming in to the state, and we really need to watch his taxes and keep them down. I think he's very personable. I think he can relate to the older generation, the younger generation, and the middle generation. So I think he'll be very good for our state. Well, I think Mark Sanford's got a lot of experience. He was the governor. Now I think you'd be perfect fit for the Senate. He knows how to steward leadership and how the system works. And I think he can jump back in and knows all about our state. So I think you take that experience and go to Washington. Sanford's experience is why she likes him over others with a similar fiscal message like Congressman Ralph Norman and over Senator Darling Graham. Condolences and the loss of her brother. However, I don't think she has a lot of government experience. And I think right now at the state of our country, I think it's very important that somebody has experience and knows how to lead. And I think it's a great honor for her to hold her brother's spot till November, but it's time for a change. And I think it'll be good for our state. As for the influence of President Trump's endorsement? Well, I'm going to vote for the candidate. You know, I just, I know Mark has come in at the last minute, but I think it's sometimes last is first. So I think Trump endorsement is important. But I think with, especially in the state of South Carolina, we have so many people coming from the north and the east. And so it's a different demographic. So maybe we need, you know, a different kind of candidate. And now for some more Sanford whiplash, I inadvertently met Sanford's neighbor, Kathy, who is also the wife of State Representative Joe Bustos. She had just finished speaking with Sanford, and here's what she told me. He's my name. for one thing. So we talked about taking a ride the golf cart, is what we talked about. But I think that Mark's a really nice guy, but he is not who I'm supported with the election. And who passed here's a supporter? More than likely, I haven't completely decided yet, but more than likely it would be Russell Fry. What do you like about Congressman Frye? Well, my husband is in the state house, and he worked with Brussels. When Russell was in the South Carolina State House, and then he went on to bigger and better. But he's a good guy, and he's very committed, and he loves South Carolina, and that's why I'm here.

I guess the economy is one of the top priorities that everybody seems to be concerned about. And I think Trump is doing a good job. But he needs to kind of speed things along so that we can kind of get back to having a better economy. I'm talking about Trump, did his endorsement of Darling not be a different space? Not really, no. I mean, I think Darling's wonderful. We love Lindsay. We went to his funeral. So, yeah. But I think that she, I think it was a very nice. gesture for her to have the rest of his term to complete. But I'm not sure she's really qualified already. On Friday, I was in the Independent Republic of O'Re County in the middle of the 7th Congressional District home to Congressman Russell Fry and was expecting to just be overrun by Fry voters. I was going to get fried, if you will. But that wasn't entirely the case among those who spoke on camera, including Deborah Dowd, who was torn. I had two choices, okay, Russell Fry and Mrs. Graham, and I chose Mrs. Graham. Tell me why. Yes. Watching the debate, I felt that I liked her answers, and I just think her brother did a wonderful job for all the time he's been in the Senate, so I went for her. And then, did Donald Trump's endorsement of her make a difference for you, or it was really just her debate performance when it came down to it? Kind of both. I do both. Her debate performance was very good. George Midford said Fry is his guy. Voted for Russell Fry today. And what made you vote for Russell Fry? Well, I'm a conservative and a Republican, and I just think he was the best choice. And what are your top issues when you look at this election and what you want him to do in the Senate? Well, pretty much what Lindsey Graham was doing. I hope that's the path he takes. So then maybe why not Lindsey Graham's sister then? Why Russell Fry instead of her if you want someone someone? Well, I just thought he'd probably had more experience in this than she would have had. Scott Brown said Congressman Frye should not be running for the Senate since he'll create a vacancy in the House if he wins, which could cause problems if there is a tight margin come January. Brown voted for Darlene because he wanted fresh blood, and he, like others, said her debate performance was critical in determining his support. Debates mean a lot to me. You see them. Obviously, there's always some pre-preparation, a little bit of it. But, yeah, the debate is what sold it. And before the debate, I was pretty open-minded. Do I think anybody was a close second? I think norm would be. And he's him and her neck to neck from what I understand. Yeah, that's, yeah, if it was, you know, up to those two, I'll still go Darlene. But if it's up to just him and somebody else, I'd go with them. In fact, debates are evidently more important than President Donald Trump's endorsement, Brown said. I would still say foreign affairs. I am a Trump supporter, but he's as a military person, he's missing. because just they're gonna lie, they're gonna cheat, they're gonna continue doing what they're doing, just get rid of it with minimal civilian. And did his endorsement make a difference for you? I know you're open-minded, but did that change anything? No.

No, I never does. I simply, you know, I rely heavily on debates. I really do. They mean a lot to me. I'm glad they have one. I would like any political consultants listening to take these comments to heart. A lot of times these guys say that debates don't matter. No, Watchers' debates. I take that. personally as a moderator. You sure about that? Okay. But I think in this situation specifically, since it is such a quick election, it's only been a month since Senator Lindsey Graham died and everyone is looking for as much information as they can get. That's why debates and press interviews are so key right now and why it's been so great that they've been doing those stumps across the state. Now, when asked about Sanford Brown alluded to the former governor's extramarital affair in 2009. I shouldn't be that way. I know past is past, past, but I hate it for him. I voted for him when he was governor. Frank and Susan Boehm had this reaction when I mentioned Sanford. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. No. No. No. Because just you name one. Name a fact. Not a fiction. Just name a fact, and there are a lot of them. He was terrible as a governor, and he would be terrible as a senator. Now, Frank and Susan both voted for Darlene, but listen to their thought process here. I love talking to couples because they're always trying to convince the other who they think they should vote for, and it's fun to hear these candid discussions, and I appreciate people sharing them with me. Because I talked to her in the parking lot. Well, yes, but. No. I said that, you know, given... Senator Graham's positions on everything. And she obviously knew him very well. She was not a politician, but she was kin to probably one of the greatest senators ever. So that's why we did it. I listened to what he said, and I went, because I was not going to vote for her. I was going to vote for somebody else, but changed my mind. Russell Fry? No. Ralph? I'm a little iffy on him. No, Ralph Norman. Being not a politician and just being able to follow the path of her brother and reality, she could do no harm. They also discussed their top issues with me, not too dissimilar from everyone else, and we discussed foreign policy stances. The economy, immigration. Yeah, pretty much what everybody else I think is looking for. And a lot of people talk about how she's not like her brother in the sense of interventionism when it comes to foreign policy. Is that something that you're okay with that she's not going to be like her brother in that sense? Well, obviously she's not skilled at it, you know, so there's that. But I think once she gets seated in place, then she'll understand more. Intervention is great. You know, you can't ignore the rest of the world because it's either coming after you or it's going to play with you either way. But you have to know that. So there you have it, folks. The voters have spoken and they will do so by 7 p.m. tonight. But before we go, I want to throw a final poll at you so we can have it on the record before we see what happens tonight. A Trafalgar group poll of 1,027 likely voters conducted between August 8th through the 10th found that

26% supported Graham, 20% back Norman, and Fry and Sanford are tied at 18% each. The latter three are all within the 2.9% margin of error, so basically it's going to be Darlene versus who in the runoff. That is Wednesday's headline. You heard it here first. Maybe. But the headline on Monday and why we were delayed in our pod was because of a ceremony to rename Joint Base Charleston to Joint Base Lindsey Graham. The late Senator was first elected to the House in 1994 and then in the Senate in 2002. and was on his way to secure a fifth term in November when he died in July. Now, during his time in office, he was a national security hawk, pushing military spending, and bringing home the bacon to such installations in our state like Joint Base, Fort Jackson, Paris Island, Beaufort Air Station, Shaw Air Force Base, and McIntyre Joint National Guard Base, a lot in our state, as you know. And Graham also served 33 years in the Air Force on active duty, in the Air National Guard, and in the reserves as a JAG officer. He retired with the rank of Colonel and General David Petraeus, the former commander of coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as General Joe Dunford, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, spoke at Graham's retirement ceremony in 2015. In fact, during his time in service, Graham served well over a dozen times in active duty stints in Iraq and Afghanistan as a colonel and Judge Advocate General Officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. So he was over there. Now on Monday, his service was honored with the recognition by the Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Governor Henry McMaster, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Senator Darlene Graham, who all gave remarks during an unveiling ceremony of the base's new sign on the perimeter of the airfield. And Graham remembered her brother who died a month ago today. It was sometimes hard to tell if Lindsay was a senator who happened to serve in the Air Force or an Air Force lawyer who happened to serve in the Senate. Such was his love for both. That's the man this base is named after. A man who loved his country, loved his state, and loved the United States Air Force. I could not be more honored or humbled for him to be recognized in such a fashion for his lifetime of service. The base is home to the 315th and the 437th airlift wings recognizable by the massive C-17 aircraft that transport equipment and service members around the globe. Those are the workhorses of the military just as Graham was to our country, Scott Bessent said. Before joining the administration, I was set on my side porch here, overlooking Charleston Harbor, watching the squadrons of C-17s returning from their missions across the globe. Nobody does it like our amazing South Carolina pilots. And Cruz. From today forward, these planes will have joint-based gram on their tails.

a reminder that Senator Graham was the American people's workhorse. That is why Lindsey Graham's legacy belongs here, and it's why this base will bury his name with pride. Graham retired at the rank of Colonel, and Pete Hegseth said that he advocated for the military until his death. He believed in mission success. He believed in the troops. He believed in giving the troops everything they needed. And he served himself. In fact, a few years later, Captain Pete Hegseth was an instructor at a base on the outskirts of Kabul in Afghanistan, and who came to visit? Colonel Lindsey Graham. I had mentioned that we were out there at the counterinsurgency school and we could give him an update on what the Taliban was up to. Sure enough, during his reserve duty, there he was. Jet lag is all hell because the man had a schedule like nobody else. But he was there to hear from us because he wanted his ear to the ground from the troops of what was actually happening in the war in Afghanistan. Fast forward, I mentioned the military budget of $1.5 trillion. The last meeting I had with Senator Graham was about a week before his passing or so, maybe two weeks before his passing. And he said, he's the budget committee chairman. So, Mr. Secretary, what do you need for reconciliation? I said, well, in total, sir, we're going to need $350 billion for our military. That's what we believe gets us to $1.5 trillion. $1.15 in the base budget, $350 in reconciliation, and we'll be ready. He looked at me and said, how's 355 sound to you? He wanted to give even more than 350. He wanted to ensure our military was as equipped as humanly possible because he was thinking of places like this one right here. You can watch that entire ceremony at YouTube.com slash SCETV News. That's a show. That's a show. That's the whole show. Trying to do a wind? He's trying. He can hear him talking about. He's trying to get a wine. Hey, this one. I got a new jean jacket, everyone. I got a new jean jacket, everyone. Turn that mic off. Do you really get a new jean jacket? I did. The most daring thing a nearly 40 man can do. I bought a jean jacket. Anyway, folks. And I got a new belt, okay? For the first time since high school, I got a new belt. Anyway, Gavin, say the outro out. Nearly 40. He just had a birthday, folks. What are you? What are you? What are you, Eddie? 38. 39, folks. You're 39? 39, folks. I thought we had a little bit more time. I thought there was more time. Nope. We had known more time. Enjoy it, my friend. Enjoy it. Enjoy it. All her old listeners are like, shut up. I think even the younger ones are also saying that to me. Anyway, something's in my bones. I don't know. But yeah, wish AT a happy birthday, folks. Give them a shout. 803-563-7169. Honestly, I don't think I got enough birthday shoutouts. I'm going to go and say it just because we're on vacation. But that's okay. 803-563-7169. We want to hear from you guys. Our older and younger listeners, we love hearing from you guys. You can also leave us review on Apple Podcast and review your podcast and review your podcast from. And you can stay today with the latest news on SCETV.org and South Carolina Public Radio.org. And don't forget to support your local newspapers.

The South Carolina lead is a production of South Carolina Public Radio. Our producers, A.T. Shire. Amy Crouch is our supervising producer. Sean Birch is our executive producer. This podcast is produced with support from PRX and is made possible in part by a grant from the John Ness and James All Night Foundation, as well as listener contributions to the ETV Endowment of South Carolina. For the South Carolina lead, I'm Gavin Jackson. He will, South Carolina. I was on a C-SPAN, like I told you earlier today. This is embarrassing for you. Well, you guys didn't tell me that I needed to shave this. Embarrassed yourself. Embarrassed yourself on C-SPAN. You guys just embarrassed me on C-SPAN.