Who is Annie Andrews and what is Andrews running on in the 2026 South Carolina Senate race?

Annie Andrews is the Democratic candidate for South Carolina U.S. Senate. Pediatrician; 2022 Democratic nominee for Congress (SC-1); won the 2026 Senate primary with 61.5%. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Appointed incumbent Darline Graham (R), sister of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died July 11, 2026; appointed by Gov. McMaster July 13, 2026.
• Rating: Solid R (Cook).
• Polling: Graham 43, Andrews 42 (Trafalgar, Sept 26, 2026); InsiderAdvantage Sept 10: Graham 45, Andrews 43.

Why Andrews is behind

• South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998, and Trump won it by 18 points in 2024.
• Graham has Trump’s endorsement and won the GOP runoff over Ralph Norman 52.4%-47.6%.
• Yet the race is close in polls: September polls show Graham up only 1 to 2 points, and Impact Research (D) had Andrews ahead 42 to 39 in August.
• Andrews has a huge money lead ($10.8M raised vs $347K as of June 30) and better favorability; Graham was criticized for a weak debate showing on Taiwan and national security.

What Andrews is running on

• Abortion. Supports a federal law protecting abortion rights nationally.
• Foreign policy. Wants to end ‘reckless, open-ended wars’.
• Taxes. Would end tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and corporate polluters.
• Guns. Supports banning ‘weapons of war’ from streets.
• Working families. Argues working families deserve a senator focused on their needs rather than corporate interests.

In Andrews’s own words

“We’ve had a steady increase in our fundraising”

The other candidates

• Darline Graham (R)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.