Democrat Annie Andrews Topples Appointed Republican Darline Graham in South Carolina Senate Race
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Annie Andrews, a pediatrician with a strong record of public service, won South Carolina's first Democratic Senate seat in more than two decades, defeating appointee Darline Graham, who had been installed to fill the vacancy left by her late brother.
Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, won South Carolina's Senate race, becoming the state's first Democratic senator in more than 20 years, according to NBC News projections. Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham, who had been appointed by Governor Henry McMaster in July to fill the seat left vacant by the death of her brother, longtime Senator Lindsey Graham.
Graham, a former state government administrator, entered the race for a full term but was widely criticized for her thin policy knowledge, even admitting in a debate that she was "not that informed on national security." Although she won the Republican nomination, her campaign raised only about $90,000 and spent $65,000, a tiny sum compared with Andrews' campaign, which raised over $4 million and spent $4.6 million in the final two weeks alone.
Outside spending further underscored the intensity of the contest, with the Senate Leadership Fund, a GOP super PAC, pouring in $13 million to back Graham, while the Senate Majority PAC, aligned with Democratic leadership, announced a $750,000 digital advertising buy for Andrews.
During a recent debate, Graham accused Andrews of refusing to "stand up to socialist Democrats," and Andrews fired back that Graham was little more than a "rubber stamp" for President Donald Trump's agenda. Andrews, who has previously advised the gun-control group Everytown, also reaffirmed her support for the Second Amendment.
Graham broke with President Trump on a recent policy issue, saying she would "put pressure on Russia to end the war and get gas prices down" because she does not trust Putin or Russia. President Trump was scheduled to appear at a campaign event for Graham in the state.