South Carolina wins give Democrats hope to expand reach in Deep South

Democrats scored a series of victories in South Carolina, including Annie Andrews’ defeat of Republican incumbent Darline Graham in a US Senate race. The wins also broke Republicans’ supermajority in the state House, giving Democrats hope that stronger candidate recruitment and turnout could help them compete more widely across the Deep South.

Party chair Christale Spain said Democrats fielded candidates in every state House seat, with about 80 candidates recruited. She said Democrats collectively received more votes than Republicans across the 124 House districts, while cautioning that more detailed election data was still pending. Black voter turnout was nearly at presidential-election levels, which Spain linked to opposition to attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion. South Carolina is also set to lead the Democratic presidential nominating calendar in 2028.