Democrat Annie Andrews flips South Carolina’s Senate seat

What the report says

South Carolina elected Democrat Annie Andrews to the US Senate, according to Associated Press projections reported by Al Jazeera, in a notable upset in a state long considered reliably Republican. The win gives Democrats their first Senate victory in South Carolina since 1998 and comes after Andrews defeated Republican incumbent Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham.

Al Jazeera reported that Graham had been appointed after her brother’s death in July and later secured the Republican nomination with Donald Trump’s endorsement. Trump also campaigned with her in the final stretch, but the Republican effort struggled to consolidate conservative support. Andrews, by contrast, ran on lowering costs, expanding affordable healthcare, protecting reproductive rights and opposing endless wars.

The report said Andrews raised more than Graham, by over $22 million, largely through grassroots donations, while declining corporate PAC money. Her campaign also drew attention for its emphasis on medical and scientific experience, with supporters framing the result as meaningful for healthcare access and representation.

In her victory remarks, Andrews said the seat belonged to voters rather than any one family, party or Washington insider network. Beyond the state, the result may signal broader Democratic opportunities in the South, though that interpretation is a wider political takeaway rather than a confirmed shift across the region.