“For more than two decades I have watched Ralph make difficult decisions, keep his commitments, and stay true to his principles,” Haley wrote in her Norman endorsement announcement. “Some see my support for him over the years as loyalty to a friend. That is false. The truth is, it is something far deeper. Ralph and I have always shared the same core belief that power belongs to the people, and government derives its authority from them alone.”

The contest between Graham Nordone and Norman will be decided in an Aug. 25 runoff after neither won a majority of the vote on Tuesday. Trump’s backing of Graham Nordone and Haley’s support for Norman are prompting comparisons to their fiercely fought 2024 GOP presidential primary.

Sources cautioned against viewing the race solely as a rematch of the 2024 presidential primary, pointing to Haley and Norman’s long-standing political alliance dating back to their time in the South Carolina State House. But their relationship also puts Norman’s political loyalty to Haley in the spotlight: He was one of Haley’s most prominent South Carolina supporters when she challenged Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.

“In 2016, President Trump was exactly who the Republican Party needed at the time,” Norman told Fox News in 2023. “However, the Republican Party has entered a season of change. We’re at a pivotal juncture, and most of the Republicans I know are now looking for new leadership with a new vision at the top of the ticket. Nikki Haley has that vision, and she’s going to be an outstanding president.”

Three years later, Norman’s loyalty to Haley could come with a cost as he seeks the Republican nomination against Trump’s handpicked candidate. Trump has already targeted several Republican incumbents who crossed him this cycle, including Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), as well as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) this cycle. Cassidy and Massie were defeated by Trump-backed primary challengers, while the president claims Tillis opted against seeking re-election after being denied an endorsement.

Phil Vangelakos, a South Carolina GOP strategist working with Graham Nordone, said the campaign is trying to appeal to all Republican voters.

“Darline is getting support from people who supported Trump, but also a wide variety of Republicans all across the state,” Vangelakos told the Washington Examiner. “Donald Trump really won overwhelmingly here in 2024 and his popularity still lingers.”

But South Carolina Republican strategist Dave Wilson told the Washington Examiner that the next phase of the race could hinge on where the candidates eliminated in Tuesday’s primary throw their support — possibly forcing prominent Republicans to choose between Trump and Norman.

Tuesday night’s third-place finisher, Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC), has yet to endorse either candidate in the runoff. Fry, an ardent Trump ally, is also seeking reelection in South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District this November.

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“He had been an ardent Trump supporter, which matches much of the voter sentiment among the growing Republican base in his district,” Wilson said. “Will he stay in alignment with Trump by throwing his support behind the Trump-endorsed Darline Graham? My guess is yes, because Fry will very likely handily win reelection to the U.S. House in November, and he will still have to work very closely with the Trump White House.”

Wilson said the decisions by Fry and other Republicans could make the runoff “a greater test of Trump loyalty.”