Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews has defeated Republican incumbent Sen. Darline Graham to win South Carolina’s 2026 U.S. Senate race, flipping the seat from Republican to Democratic control. Andrews, a pediatrician and former congressional candidate, defeated Graham in a contest that became one of the most closely watched Senate races of the 2026 midterm elections.

The election took on national significance following the death of longtime Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in July. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed his sister, Darline Graham, to fill the vacant seat for the remainder of his term. She subsequently entered the special Republican primary and defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in the August runoff after receiving President Donald Trump’s endorsement. The November election determined whether she would remain in the Senate for a full six-year term.

Andrews had already secured the Democratic nomination before Lindsey Graham’s death and spent the campaign presenting herself as an alternative to the political establishment in Washington. A pediatrician, she previously ran unsuccessfully against Republican Rep. Nancy Mace in 2022. Her campaign focused on healthcare, economic concerns and the cost of living, while criticizing Graham’s appointment and political connections.

Graham’s campaign emphasized her support for Trump and his legislative agenda, along with conservative priorities on taxes, abortion and other domestic issues. However, her relatively limited political experience became a major issue during the campaign. Graham faced criticism after struggling to answer questions about Taiwan and the South China Sea during a Republican primary debate, eventually acknowledging that national security was not her area of expertise.

The candidates later faced each other in an October debate, where they clashed over healthcare, the economy, national security and their qualifications to represent South Carolina. Andrews accused Graham of benefiting from political connections rather than earning the seat through her own record, while Graham criticized Andrews’ progressive policy positions.

The race attracted national attention because South Carolina has been a reliable Republican stronghold for decades. No Democrat had won a South Carolina U.S. Senate election since Fritz Hollings secured reelection in 1998. Lindsey Graham had represented the state in the Senate since 2003 and won his most recent reelection campaign in 2020 by approximately 10 percentage points.

Andrews’ victory makes her the first Democrat elected to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate in nearly three decades. It also makes her the first woman elected to represent the state in the Senate, a distinction that had been guaranteed to the winner regardless of the outcome.

The result gives Democrats another seat in the Senate as the nationwide election results determine control of the chamber. Andrews will take over the seat previously held by Lindsey Graham and temporarily occupied by his sister following his death.