Pediatrician Andrews Claims South Carolina Senate Seat

Democrat Annie Andrews, a Charleston pediatrician, won South Carolina's U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The AP called the race at 10:39 p.m. Tuesday with Andrews at 50.6% of the vote and Republican Sen. Darline Graham at 47.2%.

The victory delivered Democrats a pickup in the contest for control of the U.S. Senate. The seat, South Carolina's Class 2 seat, had been held by the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham since 2003. He won his June primary and was seeking a fifth term before his death on July 11 from a believed tear in his aorta. His term expires in January 2027.

Andrews ran for the seat after announcing her bid in 2025 and winning the Democratic primary on June 9, 2026. She was the party's nominee for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District in 2022.

Graham, the younger sister of the late senator, was appointed in July 2026 to finish the term. She had not held public office before that. President Donald Trump and Gov. Henry McMaster endorsed both her appointment and her Senate campaign.

Andrews will serve a six-year term running from Jan. 3, 2027, to Jan. 3, 2033.