Darline Graham loss flips South Carolina Senate seat to Democrats for first time in decades

President Trump handpicked Darline Graham to take over the seat held by her brother, influential Senator Lindsey Graham, after his death.

1 hour agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleBrandon Drenon

Reuters Annie Andrews in front of an American flagReuters
Former paediatrician Annie Andrews is projected to be the first Democratic senator for South Carolina in decades

Republican South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham is projected to have lost her race, handing Democrats their first victory in the state for 28 years.

Democrat Annie Andrews, a former paediatrician, was on course to pull off a stunning upset in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS.

Graham was appointed to fill the seat in July after the sudden death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, a move that won support from President Donald Trump.

A political newcomer, she conceded during the primary that she was “not that informed on national security”.

Getty Images South Carolina Senator Darline GrahamGetty Images
South Carolina Senator Darline Graham loses seat she filled after her brother former-Senator Lindsay Graham died in July

Trump won the state by 18 points in 2024.

During her primary campaign, Graham acknowledged her lack of political experience, particularly after stumbling on a foreign policy question during a recent debate.

Asked about the US stance towards Taiwan, Graham had said: “National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.”

Her brother, Lindsey Graham, was elected to the Senate in 2002 and was one of Washington’s most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas.

BBC asks voters across US what brought them to the polls today
A graphic image showing the US Capitol and text reading, "More on the US midterm elections 2026"

US midterm elections 2026South CarolinaUS CongressUnited States Senate

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Easy WordPress Websites Builder: Versatile Demos for Blogs, News, eCommerce and More – One-Click Import, No Coding! 1000+ Ready-made Templates for Stunning Newspaper, Magazine, Blog, and Publishing Websites.

BlockSpare — News, Magazine and Blog Addons for (Gutenberg) Block Editor

Search the Archives

Access over the years of investigative journalism and breaking reports