Democrat Annie Andrews has won South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, defeating Republican Sen. Darline Graham, according to a projection by the Associated Press. AP called the race at 10:50 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
It is one of the biggest upsets of the night. South Carolina is a strongly Republican state that President Donald Trump won by about 18 points two years ago. Andrews will be the first Democrat to win a Senate election in the state since 1998, and the first woman elected to the Senate from South Carolina.
The seat was held for years by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died in July. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, to fill the seat, and she ran to keep it with Trump’s backing.
As of about 11:45 p.m. ET, Andrews had 1,033,282 votes (51%) to Graham’s 947,521 (47%), with nearly every precinct reporting. The numbers are unofficial. No result is final until the state certifies it.
The win is a pickup for Democrats in the fight for the Senate. Republicans went into the night holding the chamber 53-47, and Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to take control. AP has not called control of the Senate.
Who are the candidates?
Annie Andrews, Democrat. A children’s doctor in Charleston, she worked for 14 years at the Medical University of South Carolina, treating children in its hospital and teaching pediatrics. She ran for Congress in 2022 and later started a political group focused on children’s issues. She campaigned on lowering health care and everyday costs, protecting Medicaid and Medicare, lowering drug prices and keeping rural hospitals open.
Darline Graham, Republican. She spent about 30 years in South Carolina state government, most recently leading the state Commission for the Blind, after starting out helping people with disabilities find work. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to the Senate in July after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. Endorsed by President Trump in her first run for elected office, she promised to carry on her brother’s work.
Follow every race call on the Zark News election results page.
