Annie Andrews
Paediatrician; US Senator-elect for South Carolina after beating Darline Graham Nordone in 2026.
Annie Andrews won South Carolina's US Senate seat on 3 November 2026, beating interim Senator Darline Graham Nordone 51.1% to 46.7% on NBC News's projection. Graham Nordone conceded at 11:57pm, handing Democrats a seat forecasters had rated Lean Republican.
Last refreshed: 5 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can Annie Andrews overcome South Carolina's Republican lean after Graham's death?
Timeline for Annie Andrews
Andrews ousts Graham Nordone by 86,285
US Midterms 2026Won after $4.60m of SLF spending against her
US Midterms 2026: SLF's final $43.9m: 7 of 10 targets wonSLF opens a $4.06m South Carolina front
US Midterms 2026Debated Darline Graham Nordone on 11 October
US Midterms 2026: CNN doubts Graham Nordone's Iran claimSabato and Cook widen Democrats' map
US Midterms 2026Background
Andrews won South Carolina's US Senate election on 3 November 2026, beating interim Senator Darline Graham Nordone by 1,034,418 votes to 948,133 on the State Election Commission's unofficial count. NBC News projected her the winner at 51.1% to 46.7% on unofficial counts, and Graham Nordone conceded shortly before midnight.
Andrews is a Charleston paediatrician who ran unsuccessfully for the US House in 2022. Her opponent, Lindsey Graham's sister, held the seat as interim senator after Graham's death. Andrews built her winning margin before polling day, through early and mail votes.
Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball both moved the race towards Democrats in September, yet still rated it Lean Republican at the end. Her win marked the furthest reach of the Democratic Senate gains in 2026.
Republican money failed to stop Andrews
The Senate Leadership Fund, the main Republican Senate Super PAC, opened a South Carolina front on 19 October, reporting spending for Graham Nordone in a state Donald Trump carried in 2024. For Andrews, it was the first sign that national Republicans saw her as a threat to a seat they had expected to keep.
The pressure grew in the final week. From 27 October to 1 November the fund spent $4.60m against her, part of about $43.9m it put into Senate races that week. Andrews had already banked her lead through early and mail votes, and the late money did not close the gap: she won by 86,285 votes.
Who is Annie Andrews?
What did Annie Andrews do before running for Senate?
When did South Carolina last elect a Democrat to the Senate?
Why does Cook Political Report rate the South Carolina Senate race solidly Republican?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 5 November 2026. Editorial standards.