Democrats scored a surprise victory in the South Carolina Senate race, according to NBC News, with Annie Andrews unseating Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed this year to succeed her late brother, longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Andrews, a pediatrician, will be the state’s first Democratic senator in more than 20 years. President Donald Trump carried South Carolina by more than 17 percentage points two years ago.
Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham, a former state government administrator, in July after Lindsey Graham, a five-term senator and Washington stalwart, died suddenly due to a heart problem.
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Darline Graham then decided to run for a full term, starting with a special primary election, but she was quickly criticized for her lack of understanding of certain political issues. She admitted during a debate with a Republican rival that she was “not very knowledgeable about national security,” despite winning the GOP nomination.
Although the race was considered a long shot for Democrats, Graham’s weaknesses prompted the Cook Political Report to upgrade her in September from “solidly” Republican to “probably” Republican. Meanwhile, Andrews significantly outraised and outspent Graham, who had to start his campaign from scratch midway through the election cycle.
During the last pre-election fundraising period, Andrews’ campaign raised more than $4 million, mostly from online donors, and spent more than $4.6 million in two weeks. Graham’s campaign raised about $90,000 and spent $65,000.
The race prompted an increase in outside spending in the home stretch. The Senate Leadership Fund, a GOP super PAC, spent $13 million to boost Graham, while the Senate Majority PAC, which is aligned with Democratic leadership, announced a last-minute $750,000 digital buy.
Andrews and Graham traded barbs during a debate last month, with Graham accusing Andrews of not wanting to “stand up to the socialist Democrats,” while Andrews said Graham was little more than a rubber stamp for Trump’s agenda. Andrews said she supports the Second Amendment — but Graham noted that Andrews was a senior adviser to Everytown, the prominent gun control advocacy group.
Andrews was also accused of backtracking on previous language signaling outright support for transgender people. Graham said Andrews had “misled the people of South Carolina” and had “flipped on everything.”
Graham also made a notable break with Trump last month after announcing he would drop sanctions on Russia, bypassing a new law named after his brother.
“Personally, I would choose to pressure Russia to end the war and lower gas prices,” Graham told reporters at a campaign event. “Because I don’t trust Putin and Russia.”
Her remarks came even as Trump was scheduled to appear at a campaign stop for her in the state.
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