r/news on Democrat Annie Andrews defeating Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina
NBC's account of an upset in a state Trump carried by 17 points, with a striking fundraising gap behind it.
NBC News projects that Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, defeated Republican Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina, making Andrews the state's first Democratic senator in more than 20 years. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham in July after her brother, five-term Sen. Lindsey Graham, died suddenly; she then won the GOP nomination for a full term. NBC reports that Trump carried the state by more than 17 points two years ago, that Andrews raised more than $4 million in the final pre-election period against about $90,000 for Graham, and that the GOP-aligned Senate Leadership Fund spent $13 million backing Graham. In debates, Andrews called Graham a "rubber stamp" for Trump's agenda, and Graham accused Andrews of having "flip-flopped on everything."
About 52,000 upvotes and 3,900 comments in a 29-million-member community. The top reply criticizes the choice to run the late senator's sister; others call it one of the biggest upsets they can remember, including a commenter who says they have voted Democratic in South Carolina for 25 years.
Across the spectrum 3
Democrat
"I think we just made some history," Annie Andrews told supporters in Charleston on election night. "Today, you have elected a senator that will always put South Carolina first," The Post and Courier reports.
The Post and Courier ↗Libertarian
Reason's Eric Boehm called Andrews' win a result with "Trump's fingerprints all over it," since Trump "personally elevated Darline Graham" in a contested primary, and wrote that "it was a bad choice. She was a terrible campaigner" who could not "coast to victory on the value of her last name alone."
Reason ↗Republican
Conceding, Sen. Darline Graham thanked her campaign and told supporters not to exit the fight: "This is a tough cycle, and all of us need to be involved as we chart a path forward. It is clear that we as conservatives have work to do and that work starts tonight," WRDW reports.
WRDW ↗-
Annie Andrews
After exploring Democrat Annie Andrews defeats GOP Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina, a major upset, the senator-elect's path is traced in Annie Andrews.
Wikipedia describes Annie Andrews as a pediatrician and the senator-elect from South Carolina, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from the state.
Wikipedia · Wade · 5 min
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Lindsey Graham
After exploring Democrat Annie Andrews defeats GOP Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina, a major upset, the seat's longtime holder is profiled in Lindsey Graham.
Wikipedia profiles Lindsey Graham, who represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate from 2003 until his death in 2026.
Wikipedia · Swim · 30 min
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