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NBC’s Steve Kornacki stunned as South Carolina slips away from Darline Graham live on air: ‘This is shocking’
Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham by four points in South Carolina’s Senate race, giving Democrats their first Senate victory in the state in 28 years. The result surprised NBC analyst Steve Kornacki and marked a major shift in a state long considered safely Republican, as Democrats seek to gain control of the Senate.
Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, had Trump’s backing and was seeking a full six-year term after winning the Republican nomination in a runoff. Kornacki highlighted a 31-point shift towards Democrats in Spartanburg County, while Andrews outraised Graham by $22 million; outside groups spent $27 million to defend the seat and $24 million to flip it. Democrats needed four Senate gains to take control.
In short
- Annie Andrews won South Carolina’s Senate race by four points.
- The victory gives Democrats their first Senate win in the state in 28 years.
- Spartanburg County shifted 31 points towards Democrats.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Andrews’s victory can be seen as evidence that voters wanted a change in representation, with her fundraising advantage and the sharp shift in Spartanburg County suggesting a broader appeal beyond the usual Democratic base. For Democrats, winning a long-held Republican seat offers a plausible route to Senate control and gives South Carolina voters a stronger voice in that effort.
The case against
Graham had won the Republican nomination and Trump’s backing, giving voters a clear choice to retain a senator aligned with their preferred party and national agenda. A single, surprising result does not by itself establish a lasting political realignment, and Republicans can reasonably argue that the seat’s outcome should be judged alongside the wider Senate contests and the priorities voters chose there.