Democrat Annie Andrews wins US Senate election in South Carolina over Republican Darline Graham

WASHINGTON (AP) — Annie Andrew shattered decades of Republican dominance in South Carolina on Tuesday to become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from the deeply conservative state in a generation.

Andrews defeated U.S. Sen. Darline Graham, who has been serving as interim senator since her brother, Lindsey Graham, died earlier this year. With her victory, Andrews, a pediatrician, becomes the first woman elected to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

Appearing at her victory party in Charleston, Andrews paused for a few moments before she spoke, taking in the crowd wildly celebrating the first Democratic win in a U.S. Senate race in South Carolina in 28 years.

“You have shown the nation what is possible,” Andrews said. “You have shown the nation that in this era of partisan divides, of vitriol and name-calling, in a politics dominated by billionaires and special interest groups and insiders in Washington, D.C., that we will not bow down.”

In Columbia, Graham addressed a subdued crowd of Republicans. Her voice raspy, she told the crowd they should remain as proud of her brother as she is.

“This is a tough cycle, and all of us need to be involved as we chart a path forward,” Graham said. “It is clear that we as conservatives have work to do, and that work starts tonight.”

Trump’s backing couldn’t carry Darline Graham to victory

Before facing Andrews, Graham bested better-known Republicans to win a hotly contested special primary. President Donald Trump, a close ally of her brother, endorsed and campaigned for her in the state. Graham again thanked Trump for his support after her loss.

That presidential backing eroded Graham’s support from both sides. It bothered some independent voters unhappy with Trump’s second term and some Republican supporters who disapproved of the president’s involvement in a crowded primary they believed should have been left up to the state’s voters. Both groups were uneasy about Graham’s inexperience and the prospect of turning the seat into a Graham family dynasty.

Andrews benefited from the national wave of discontent with Republicans generally and Trump specifically.

Lindsey Graham was seeking his fifth term, and Republicans felt confident they’d keep the seat before he died. But his sister’s status as a political novice, plus Andrews’ fundraising prowess, prompted GOP groups to pour money into South Carolina.

Graham faced questions about her experience

In a Republican primary debate, Graham was asked whether the U.S. has a national security interest in Taiwan and the South China Sea — a longstanding contention of both Democratic and Republican administrations. She struggled to answer before admitting, “National security is not my thing.”

She continued facing questions about her qualifications even after squeaking out a runoff win in the primary.

About two-thirds of South Carolina Senate voters said Darline Graham lacked the right experience. About 7 in 10 voters who doubted Graham’s experience voted for Andrews, according to The AP Voter Poll.

Andrews won a majority of women voters in South Carolina, while Graham won about half of men, the poll found.

While about 9 in 10 Republican voters in the state supported Lindsey Graham in 2020, according to AP VoteCast, that support from the party’s base fell this year, with about 8 in 10 Republican voters saying they voted for Darline Graham.

Andrews had already been campaigning for more than a year when Lindsey Graham died, forcing her to rejigger a general election plan that had been centered on ousting the incumbent. After the Republican primary runoff, she homed in on Darline Graham.

Andrews was also new to politics. She came up short in a 2022 challenge to Rep. Nancy Mace but has remained visible afterward. Before her Senate campaign, she had never held elected office or run statewide.

Discontent with GOP lifted Andrews

Only about 4 in 10 South Carolina Senate voters have a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of the Republican Party, similar to their view of the Democratic Party, according to The AP Voter Poll.

Voter Brent Chaplin said he had always supported GOP candidates but couldn’t cast his ballot for Graham, saying he backed Andrews and hoped her win would be a “wake-up” call for Republicans.

“You just can’t go and say, ‘I’m a Republican. I’m just going to vote Republican,’” Chaplin said after voting in Fort Mill. “You’ve got to put some brain power into it and think about it. So hopefully, it is a message to the powers that be to wake up, pick better candidates.”

Before Andrews’ victory, Fritz Hollings was the last Democrat elected to a Senate seat in South Carolina, winning his final term in 1998. Republicans had won every U.S. Senate race since then by at least double digits and have held both Senate seats since Hollings left office in 2005.

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Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

Meg Kinnard And Jeffrey Collins, The Associated Press