Republicans to spend $5 million in South Carolina Senate race as Trump plans trip there

WASHINGTON (AP) — The primary Senate Republican super PAC is sending reinforcements to deep red South Carolina as President Donald Trump prepares to travel there to boost Sen. Darline Graham.

The Senate Leadership Fund is putting $5 million in the state to shore up Graham , who was appointed this summer as an interim replacement for her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. The spending was confirmed by a person with direct knowledge of the plans.

The spending is meant more as an insurance policy, said the person, who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, and Republicans remain confident in their chances to retain the seat.

Meanwhile, Trump’s midterm blitz is tentatively scheduled to take him to the state ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, according to a separate person familiar with the plans who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Trump rallied with Graham days before the August runoff primary, helping to boost her chances against Ralph Norman as they faced off for the Republican Senate nomination. Graham is running against Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician.

SLF’s spending plans, first reported by Axios, come several days after news that the deep-pocketed super PAC was pulling back in North Carolina and pouring money into Kansas, another conservative state that has become more competitive in recent weeks.

The funding also comes after Trump attacked Andrews on social media, using an anti-transgender slur.

“Darline is a High Quality person, maybe the Highest,” Trump wrote in his post. Using the slur, Trump said Andrews is “not, in particular, as it pertains to representing the Values of the Great People of South Carolina.”

In a response shortly after Trump’s post, Andrews said she is in the Senate race to “fight for my patients, my three kids, and South Carolina.”

“And I’m going to work with anyone to put South Carolina first, because lowering costs and making life better for families across our state is going to take all of us working together,” Andrews said.