U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-SC) speaks during a campaign rally for her at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S., August 21, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci
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Democrat Annie Andrews will defeat Republican Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, NBC News projected Tuesday night, delivering Democrats a striking pickup in a state Republicans have dominated for decades.
Andrews had 918,263 votes, or 51%, compared with 842,905 votes, or 46.8%, for Graham with an estimated 86.3% of the vote counted when NBC projected the race.
Independent Kasie Whitener had 1.1%.
The result caps an extraordinary Senate contest that began after longtime Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham died in July.
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, to complete his term. She later decided to seek a full six-year term and survived a Republican primary that included U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman.
Andrews, a pediatrician who previously challenged Republican Rep. Nancy Mace for Congress in 2022, had already secured the Democratic nomination before Lindsey Graham’s death reshaped the race.
