Annie Andrews defeats Darline Graham in Senate race
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The gist
Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina's Senate race, an upset.
Graham held the seat her late brother Lindsey vacated.
Background
Annie Andrews is a 45-year-old pediatrician and Democratic Senate candidate in South Carolina who campaigned on healthcare access and affordability and fighting corruption in Washington. Darline Graham, 62, is a Republican senator appointed to the seat after her brother, five-term Sen. Lindsey Graham, died suddenly in July from a heart problem; she had most recently served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. President Trump encouraged Graham to run and campaigned heavily for her, and his super PAC MAGA Inc gave her $827,000. South Carolina had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998, and Trump won the state by 18 points in 2024.
How it unfolded
- Jul 2026Five-term Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly due to a heart problem; Gov. Henry McMaster appointed his sister Darline Graham to serve out the remainder of his term.
- Jul 2026Darline Graham took office, marking the first time in U.S. history a sibling replaced a sitting U.S. senator.
- Aug 2026MAGA Inc, a super PAC controlled by Trump, gave Graham $827,000, and Trump personally campaigned heavily for her.
- Sep 2026The Cook Political Report shifted the race from "solidly" Republican to "likely" Republican.
- Oct 11, 2026Graham, Andrews and Libertarian candidate Kasie Whitener debated in Columbia, S.C.
- Oct 2026The Senate Leadership Fund, the main Republican super PAC, invested $5 million in October to aid Graham.
- Oct 21, 2026At Graham's most recent rally, Trump described Andrews as a "radical left lunatic" and used a slur for transgender people.
- Oct 22, 2026Graham held a news conference in Columbia, S.C., challenging Andrews to release her tax returns.
- Nov 3, 2026CBS News projected Democrat Annie Andrews defeated GOP Sen. Darline Graham in the South Carolina Senate race, a major upset.
- Nov 4, 2026NBC News and Decision Desk HQ also projected Andrews' win; DDHQ had Andrews leading by 4 points with 84 percent reporting.
Who’s saying what
- Support
- Andrews criticized Graham as lacking experience, citing Graham's comment during the condensed primary that she was "not that informed on national security," and argued Graham is "unserious and unqualified."
- Party
- Graham said Andrews was little more than a rubber stamp for Trump's agenda and accused her of being unwilling to "stand up to socialist Democrats" and of having "flip-flopped on everything."
- Caution
- Graham criticized Andrews for opposing Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act and for supporting state-run healthcare, a claim Andrews has denied.
Still unverified
Andrews has been accused of backpedaling on previous language signaling emphatic support for transgender people.