Democrat Annie Andrews has been projected the winner of South Carolina’s US Senate election, defeating Republican Darline Graham and giving her party a Senate seat in the state for the first time since 1998.
The Associated Press called the race for Andrews following voting on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Reuters also reported her projected victory. The outcome is a Democratic gain from Republicans, not simply the retention of an existing seat.
Andrews, a paediatrician from the Charleston area, defeated Graham in a state that backed President Donald Trump by roughly 18 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. The result makes her the first Democrat elected to the US Senate from South Carolina since Fritz Hollings won re-election in 1998.
South Carolina elects its first woman senator
The election also establishes a historic first: Andrews is set to become the first woman elected to represent South Carolina in the US Senate.
There is an important distinction. Darline Graham became South Carolina’s first woman US senator when she was appointed to the chamber in July 2026. Andrews will be the first to win the office in an election, as South Carolina Public Radio explained before voters went to the polls.
How did Darline Graham come to hold the seat?
Republican Lindsey Graham had represented South Carolina in the Senate since 2003 and was seeking another term when he died on 11 July 2026. Governor Henry McMaster appointed his sister, Darline Graham, to complete the remaining months of his term.
Darline Graham subsequently secured the Republican nomination in a specially arranged primary runoff on 25 August, defeating congressman Ralph Norman. President Trump endorsed her and campaigned on her behalf. The Associated Press reported on the nomination contest.
Graham entered the general election as the sitting, appointed Republican senator. Her defeat changes the party holding the seat for the six-year term beginning in January 2027.
Who is Annie Andrews?
Andrews is a doctor specialising in children’s health. She previously ran unsuccessfully for a South Carolina seat in the US House of Representatives in 2022.
Her 2026 campaign focused on living costs, healthcare and childcare affordability, access to rural hospitals, reproductive rights and the effects of the war with Iran. Her published campaign platform also addressed gun violence, government accountability and immigration.
The candidates contested each other’s records and policy positions. Graham emphasised her alignment with Trump’s agenda and challenged Andrews on issues including abortion and immigration. Andrews criticised the administration’s handling of prices and the war, presenting her medical experience as a different approach to representing families.
The unusual contest became closely fought despite South Carolina’s strong recent Republican voting record. That background makes the party change particularly notable, but the result alone does not establish why individual voters chose either candidate.
What does this mean for control of the US Senate?
Republicans entered election day controlling 53 of the 100 Senate seats. Democrats held 45, with two independents caucusing with them. To reach a 51-seat majority, the Democratic side needed a net gain of four seats across the election.
South Carolina is one of those gains. Democrats have also been projected to take a Republican-held seat in North Carolina, where Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley, while Jon Ossoff retained Georgia’s Democratic Senate seat.
These results do not, on their own, settle control of the new Senate. Other state contests must be counted and their results confirmed before an overall majority can be established.
When will the result be official?
News organisations call election winners using reported vote totals and analysis of ballots still to be counted. A projected victory is not the same as legal certification.
The South Carolina Election Commission publishes the state’s election results and official records. Fish 4 News has not stated a final vote margin while counting and certification remain outstanding.
For the broader national picture, see our 2026 US midterm election guide.
Sources
- Associated Press: Andrews wins South Carolina Senate contest
- Reuters: Democratic gain in South Carolina
- South Carolina Election Commission: results
- South Carolina Public Radio: first elected woman senator context
- Associated Press: Darline Graham’s nomination
- Annie Andrews campaign: stated policy platform
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