South Carolina Senate: Democrat Annie Andrews Defeats Incumbent Darline Graham

Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham in the South Carolina U.S. Senate race on Tuesday. The result concludes a contest that shifted from a likely Republican victory to a statistical tie in the final weeks of the campaign. Associate Press called the race after Andrews received 50.6 percent of the vote with 93 percent of precincts reporting. Darline Graham secured 47.2 percent of the total.

The seat had been held by the late Lindsey Graham for decades. Following his death in July, Governor of South Carolina appointed his sister, Darline Graham, to finish the term. Political analysts noted that the nomination process was contentious. No candidate achieved a majority in the special Republican primary in August. Darline Graham and Representative Ralph Norman advanced to a runoff, which Darline Graham won by a margin of less than five points.

The primary split the Republican base. Representative Norman stated he would vote for Darline Graham but did not plan to campaign alongside her. Other supporters of Norman expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. Darline Graham faced scrutiny regarding her lack of prior elected office. Her performance in the runoff debate drew criticism from party members. When asked about Taiwan and the South China Sea, she replied, "I’m not that informed on national security."

National trends also weighed on the Republican campaign. The party in the White House typically loses seats in midterm elections. President Donald Trump’s approval rating stood at 30 percent last month, according to the Pew Research Center. The president had publicly encouraged Darline Graham to run for a full term before she announced her candidacy.

Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, won the Democratic nomination in June by double digits. She secured endorsements from two former South Carolina governors. One was a Democrat and the other a Republican. Both appeared in a campaign video for Andrews. Scott Huffmon, a professor of political science at Winthrop University, noted the momentum of her campaign. He described her ability to "gins up excitement wherever she goes."

Fundraising disparities contributed to the outcome. Experts pointed to Andrews’ successful fundraising efforts. Darline Graham’s campaign struggled to match those totals. This was Andrews’ first bid for the Senate. She previously ran for the U.S. House in 2022 against Representative Nancy Mace without success.

The victory marks a historical first for the state. Andrews becomes the first woman from South Carolina to be elected to the U.S. Senate. Darline Graham remains in the Senate as an appointee, having not won a popular vote for the office. The seat had not elected a Democratic senator at any point this century.

Polling in the weeks before Election Day showed the race tightening. Earlier in the year, the seat was considered a strong Republican hold. The death of Lindsey Graham and the subsequent primary runoff altered the political dynamics in the state. The final vote count reflects a competitive outcome in a historically red district.

The result shifts the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Andrews will assume her seat after the official certification of the election. The race ended a long period of Republican dominance in the state’s congressional delegation. The outcome highlights the volatility of this election cycle for the party controlling the White House.