# Darline Graham loses late brother Lindsey’s South Carolina Senate seat in seismic defeat for Republicans as Democratic demolition takes shape

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/darline-graham-loses-late-brother-lindseys-south-carolina-senate-seat-in-seismic-defeat-for-republicans-as-democratic-demolition-takes-shape/
- Published: 2026-11-04T07:15:38+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16230849/darline-graham-annie-andrews-south-carolina-senate.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Americas, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Annie Andrews won South Carolina’s Senate race with 51 per cent of the vote.
- The result is the state’s first Democratic Senate win in 28 years.
- Trump’s backing and $5 million in Republican support could not save Graham.

## Summary

Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham in South Carolina’s US Senate race, winning a seat left vacant by the death of Graham’s brother, Lindsey Graham, in July. The result marks a major upset in a state Donald Trump won by 18 points in 2024, and ends a 28-year run without a Democrat winning a South Carolina Senate seat.

With 86 per cent of votes counted, Andrews had 51 per cent to Graham’s 47 per cent; major US networks projected Andrews the winner, and the Associated Press called the race later that evening. Trump backed Graham and campaigned for her, while Republicans committed $5 million as the contest tightened. Andrews, a surgeon who previously lost a 2022 House race, focused on affordability and economic issues; Graham faced criticism after saying national security was not her strength and expressing uncertainty about whether she wanted to be a senator.

## Coverage

- [Daily Mail: Darline Graham loses late brother Lindsey’s South Carolina Senate seat in seismic defeat for Republicans as Democratic demolition takes shape](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16230849/darline-graham-annie-andrews-south-carolina-senate.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [PBS NewsHour: WATCH: Democrat Annie Andrews' full victory speech after flipping South Carolina Senate seat](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-democrat-annie-andrews-full-victory-speech-after-flipping-south-carolina-senate-seat)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.