Annie Andrews wins South Carolina Senate race, flipping seat

Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina’s Senate race, CBS News and NBC News projected, delivering an upset in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1998.

Andrews, a 45-year-old pediatrician, campaigned on improving access to affordable health care and fighting corruption in Washington. She defeated an appointed incumbent who had the backing of President Donald Trump and substantial Republican outside spending.

Graham, 62, took office in July after her brother, five-term Sen. Lindsey Graham, died suddenly. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to serve the remainder of his term, according to NBC News, which reported that he died of a heart problem. Darline Graham, who had served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, went on to win a special Republican primary to seek a full six-year term.

The result broke a long Democratic drought in South Carolina. Trump won the state by 18 points in 2024, according to CBS News; NBC News put his margin at more than 17 percentage points. Andrews’ victory gives Democrats an unexpected seat as they seek to flip the Senate.

Graham’s command of national issues drew scrutiny during her campaign. In the Republican primary, she said she was “not that informed on national security,” a comment Andrews used to question her experience. NBC News reported that the Cook Political Report changed its rating of the race in September from “solidly” Republican to “likely” Republican.

The campaigns had sharply different fundraising totals near Election Day. In the final pre-election reporting period, Andrews raised more than $4 million, mostly from online donors, and spent more than $4.6 million over two weeks, according to NBC News. Graham raised about $90,000 and spent $65,000 in that period. She had begun her campaign partway through the election cycle.

Outside groups also poured money into the contest. CBS News reported that Senate Leadership Fund, the main Republican Senate super PAC, made a $5 million investment in October. NBC News reported that the group spent $13 million to support Graham in the closing stretch. CBS News said MAGA Inc., a super PAC controlled by Trump, gave Graham $827,000 in August. Trump encouraged her to run and campaigned for her. On the Democratic side, Senate Majority PAC announced a last-minute $750,000 digital advertising buy, according to NBC News.

In an October debate, Graham accused Andrews of being unwilling to “stand up to socialist Democrats.” Andrews called Graham a rubber stamp for Trump’s agenda. Andrews said she supported the Second Amendment, while Graham pointed to Andrews’ work as a senior adviser to the gun-control group Everytown. Graham also accused Andrews of changing her language about support for transgender people, saying she had been “deceiving the people of South Carolina” and had “flip-flopped on everything,” NBC News reported.

Graham broke with Trump after he announced he would waive sanctions against Russia, bypassing a new law named after her brother, according to NBC News. “Personally, I would choose to put the pressure on Russia to end the war and get gas prices down,” she told reporters at a campaign event. “Because I don’t trust Putin, and I don’t trust Russia.”