By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician who campaigned on healthcare affordability, has won the U.S. Senate race in South Carolina, becoming the first Democrat to represent the state in the Senate since 1998. Andrews defeated Darline Graham, the sister of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, in a contest that had been considered a reliable Republican stronghold.
Uphill Battle in a Republican Stronghold
Andrews faced a steep challenge in a state that had not elected a Democrat to the Senate in over a quarter century. Graham, 62, was appointed by the South Carolina governor to serve the remainder of her brother’s term after his death in July at age 71. She received strong backing from former President Donald Trump, who campaigned for her and used a transphobic slur against Andrews. However, Graham’s limited national political experience, including an admission during an August debate that she was “not that informed on national security” regarding Taiwan, made the race more competitive.
Policy Contrasts and Campaign Dynamics
A New York Times/Siena poll the week before the election showed the candidates tied at 48% each. Graham aligned closely with Trump, expressing full trust in him on tariffs and the war with Iran, a conflict that polls show is deeply unpopular with a majority of Americans. Andrews called the Iran war “illegal” and criticized its impact on gas prices, stating in September she wanted to “find our way out of this illegal, unconstitutional billion-dollar-a-day war overseas.”
Controversies and Historic Significance
Andrews drew criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates for a late-campaign ad in which she referred to trans women as “biological men” and said she does not support gender surgery for minors, a stance that contrasted with her 2022 statement opposing South Carolina’s Save Women’s Sports Act and supporting trans youth. The election also marks the first time South Carolina has elected a woman to the Senate, nearly a century after Hattie Caraway of Arkansas became the first female U.S. senator in 1932. As of October, 15 U.S. states have never had a woman serve as a U.S. senator, including several northeastern states such as Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Vermont.
