Democrat Annie Andrews wins South Carolina Senate race

Washington — Democrat Annie Andrews defeated GOP Sen. Darline Graham in the South Carolina Senate race, CBS News projects, in a major upset.

Andrews, 45, is a pediatrician and campaigned on healthcare access and affordability, along with fighting corruption in Washington. She faced off against Graham, the incumbent senator who was appointed to serve out the remainder of her brother Lindsey Graham's term after his sudden death in July.

Darline Graham, 62, most recently served as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, before she was appointed to the Senate. She went on to win a special primary election to take her brother's place on the ballot to represent South Carolina for a full six-year term.

Andrews faced an uphill battle in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998, and which President Trump won by 18 points in 2024. She criticized Darline Graham for lacking experience, pointing to comments she made during the condensed primary, when she said she was "not that informed on national security."  

The race, which grew much more competitive than expected, forced Republicans to come to Graham's aid with a $5 million investment in October from the Senate Leadership Fund, the main Republican super PAC. MAGA Inc., a super PAC controlled by Mr. Trump, also gave Graham $827,000 in August, and he personally campaigned heavily for Graham after encouraging her to run for the seat. But the efforts fell short amid a difficult environment for Republicans. 

With Andrews' projected victory, Democrats secure an unexpected pickup as they look to flip the Senate.