Andrews projected to win South Carolina Senate race, first Democratic victory since 1998

Democrat Annie Andrews has been projected or reported as the winner of South Carolina's US Senate race over Republican Darline Graham. The BBC cited its US partner CBS. Al Jazeera cited the Associated Press.

The result marks the first time South Carolina has elected a Democrat to the US Senate since 1998, or in 28 years.

Graham is the sister of Senator Lindsey Graham. She was appointed to his seat after his sudden death in July. President Donald Trump supported her.

During the Republican primary, Graham said she was "not that informed on national security" and that national security was "not my thing". According to the BBC, the remark came in response to a debate question about the US stance towards Taiwan.

The campaign

According to the BBC, Trump won South Carolina by 18 points in 2024. The BBC described Andrews as a former paediatrician. It described Graham as a political newcomer who acknowledged her lack of experience during the primary campaign. The BBC also reported that Trump's support extended to her appointment.

Al Jazeera reported that Graham won a special primary runoff with Trump's endorsement. It also reported that he made multiple appearances with her in the campaign's final month.

Citing Federal Election Commission filings, Al Jazeera reported that Andrews raised more than $22m more than Graham, primarily through grassroots donations. It also reported that she pledged to take no money from corporate political action committees.

According to Al Jazeera, Graham struggled to unite conservatives, and many voters, including Republicans, believed she was unqualified. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include polling or other data supporting that statement.

What each side says

Al Jazeera quoted Andrews as saying: "I think we just made some history." She also said: "This Senate seat doesn’t belong to one family, one party, or to Washington, DC. It belongs to you and it always will."

Andrews said Graham called to congratulate her and that she thanked her. Al Jazeera reported that Andrews campaigned on lowering costs for working families, expanding affordable healthcare, protecting reproductive rights and opposing endless wars.

The BBC quoted Graham as saying during the primary: "National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military." The reports do not include a statement from her on the result.

Lela Ali, a regional voting advisor in the South, told Al Jazeera: "I think this victory and the gains across the region today gives people across the South a renewed sense of possibility."

What the reports do not include

The reports do not include vote totals, the winning margin, turnout or certified results. They also do not include a reaction from Trump or Republican Party officials.

Analysis

The result raises questions about how far candidate-specific factors and broader political trends each shaped the race. Graham's inexperience, the family link to the seat and the reported fundraising gap are possible factors, but the reports do not establish what decided the outcome. Ali's comments suggest a wider regional opening, a view that vote data could test. Without margins or turnout figures, the scale of the shift from 2024 remains unclear. A broad swing could lead both parties to reassess their approach in the South, while a narrow result might point to circumstances specific to this contest.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.