Democrats scored a surprise victory in the South Carolina Senate race, with Anne Andrews defeating Republican Sen. Darin Graham, who was appointed this year to replace her late brother, longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to NBC News.
Andrews, a pediatrician, will become the state’s first Democratic senator in more than 20 years. President Donald Trump carried South Carolina by more than 17 points two years ago.
In July, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed former state administrator Darline Graham after five-term Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Washington stalwart, died suddenly of a heart attack.
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Darlene Graham then decided to run for a full term, starting with the special primary, but she was quickly criticized for her lack of fluency on certain policy issues. She admitted in a debate with a Republican rival that she “didn’t know much about national security” even though she went on to win the Republican nomination.
Although the Democratic Party is considered a long shot, Graham’s weakness prompted the Cook Political Report to change his position from “Definitely” Republican to “Likely” Republican in September. Meanwhile, Andrews significantly outraised and outspent Graham, who had to start his campaign from scratch in the middle of an election cycle.
In its final pre-election fundraising period, Andrews’ campaign raised more than $4 million, mostly from online donors, and spent more than $4.6 million in two weeks. Graham’s campaign raised about $90,000 and spent $65,000.
The game attracted a surge in outside spending in its final stages. The Senate Leadership Foundation, a Republican super PAC, spent $13 million to back Graham, while the Senate Majority PAC, which is aligned with Democratic leadership, announced a last-minute digital buy of $750,000.
Andrews and Graham traded barbs at a debate last month, with Graham accusing Andrews of being unwilling to “stand up to socialist Democrats” and Andrews saying Graham was nothing more than a rubber stamp for Trump’s agenda. Andrews said she supports the Second Amendment, but Graham noted that Andrews has been a senior adviser to Everytown, a prominent gun control advocacy group.
Andrews was also accused of abandoning previous language that emphasized support for transgender people. Graham said Andrews has been “deceiving the people of South Carolina” and is “erratic in everything.”
Graham also had a notable disagreement with Trump last month when she announced she would drop sanctions on Russia, bypassing a new law named for her brother.
“Personally, I would choose to put pressure on Russia to end the war and lower gas prices,” Graham told reporters at a campaign event. “Because I don’t trust Putin and I don’t trust Russia.”
Her comments came as Trump was scheduled to attend her campaign event in the state.