Election 2026LiveSenate52 Dem · 41 Rep · 7 to callHouse205 Dem · 123 Rep · 107 to callGovernors24 Dem · 18 Rep · 8 to callUpdated 00:58 ET · AP race calls
ABRAnews Three sides to every story.
US Politics

Democrat Annie Andrews flips South Carolina Senate seat, defeating Sen. Darline Graham

Andrews is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from South Carolina since 1998, and Graham is the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's sister.

30 news outlets reported this
Liberal13 outletsA historic upset that exposes Republican weaknessCenter4 outletsGraham's defeat as a sign of Trump's limitsConservative13 outletsGraham's loss, her stumbles and Trump's backing
Published 3 min read
Overview

Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, won South Carolina's US seat on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Sen. Darline Graham. She is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state since 1998. Graham is the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died in July.

The governor appointed her to finish his term, and she won a runoff with President Trump's backing. With 93% of the vote counted, Andrews had 50.6% and Graham 47.2%, according to Time. Trump campaigned for Graham in the closing weeks.

The Epoch Times reports the Senate Leadership Fund, a group backing Republican Senate candidates, put $5 million behind her. At a primary debate, Graham said she was "not that informed on national security." Andrews campaigned on lowering costs, health care affordability and abortion rights.

She is also the first woman elected to the Senate from South Carolina. Forbes reports that control of the Senate would require a net gain of four seats for Democrats. The BBC reports that Democrats have also won majority.

Key figures
  • 50.6% to 47.2% Andrews over Graham, with 93% of the vote counted — Time
  • $5 million Senate Leadership Fund money allocated in support of Graham — The Epoch Times
  • more than $22m Andrews' fundraising edge over Graham, per Federal Election Commission filings — Al Jazeera English
  • net gain of four seats what Democrats need to regain control of the Senate — Forbes
  • 18 points Trump's 2024 margin in South Carolina, per RedState — RedState

Three sides of the story

Liberal13 outlets

A historic upset that exposes Republican weakness

Time calls the result a "stunning" upset in a deeply red state and notes Trump's approval at 30% in a Pew Research Center poll. Al Jazeera English quotes Andrews, "I think we just made some history," and says she outraised Graham by more than $22m, mostly through grassroots donations. The Guardian leads with Andrews' healthcare-affordability campaign.

It reports that Trump referred to her with a transphobic slur and that LGBTQ+ advocates criticized one of her ads. It also contrasts Graham's trust in Trump on the Iran war with Andrews calling it "illegal." Mother Jones, under the headline "A Monumental Upset," quotes Scott Singer, who helped found the Aiken Republican Club and says people were "holding their nose" to vote for Graham.

Mother Jones writes that voters turned down a "Graham family dynasty." NBC News' headline projects Andrews as the winner, and its coverage includes Steve Kornacki explaining what it calls a "shocking" upset.

Center4 outlets

Graham's defeat as a sign of Trump's limits

The Seattle Times, citing a New York Times projection, says Graham's defeat "reflected a toxic political environment" for Republicans and shows that Trump's pull has boundaries even in a state he had won. It reports that Trump traveled to the state three times and that Andrews used Graham's ties to the president against her. Graham and Republicans, it adds, tried to paint Andrews as too liberal.

A second, shorter Seattle Times piece calls the result a "stark defeat" for the Republican Party and says the AP made its call at 10:39 p.m. EST. BBC News' Anthony Zurcher places it within "a historic night for Democrats," with the party winning the House and, with South Carolina, "halfway home" to the four Senate pickups it needs. He says Andrews ran well ahead of Kamala Harris's 2024 numbers in majority-black counties.

Forbes' live-updates coverage has Andrews beating Graham and says Democrats need a net gain of four seats. NewsNation's live-results report says Trump traveled to South Carolina to support Graham two weeks ahead of the .

Conservative13 outlets

Graham's loss, her stumbles and Trump's backing

The Blaze reports Graham lost despite polls that gave her a small edge, citing RealClearPolling at +2.7 and its own Poll Watch at +1.9, and notes Andrews wants the abortion protections of Roe v. Wade restored. The Daily Mail calls it a "seismic defeat" and a "stinging blow" to Trump, who handpicked Graham.

It recounts her gaffes, including "National security is not my thing," and Andrews' appendectomy line from the October 11 debate. The Epoch Times reports the Senate Leadership Fund's $5 million and quotes Graham saying Andrews "will not stand up to the Socialist Democratic Party." It also gives voters' views from both sides.

RedState pairs the loss with Republican Alan Wilson winning the governorship by almost 7 points, calling it a "silver lining." The Center Square frames the result as ending a Republican hold on the seat since 1964, and lists both candidates' policy platforms.

Where outlets disagree
All sources: 38 articles from 30 outlets

Liberal (19)

Center (6)

Conservative (13)

Related
Senate

The upper chamber of Congress: 100 senators, two per state, elected for six years. It confirms judges and ministers and approves treaties.

All terms →
Primary election

A vote inside a party to choose its candidate for the general election.

All terms →
House of Representatives

The lower chamber of Congress: 435 members elected every two years, with more seats for bigger states. It is the chamber that can impeach officials.

All terms →
Midterm elections

US elections halfway through a president's four-year term. The whole House, a third of the Senate and many governors are elected. In 2026 Election Day is November 3.

All terms →