South Carolina elects Democratic senator for first time in almost three decades

4 November 2026, 03: 21 GMT. Updated 1 hour ago.

Key points

• Republican South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham is projected to have lost her race, handing Democrats their first victory in the state for 28 years.
• Graham was appointed to fill the seat in July after the sudden death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, a move that won backing from President Donald Trump.
• Democrat Annie Andrews, a former paediatrician, was on course to pull off a stunning upset in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to the BBC's US partner CBS.
• Asked regarding the US stance towards Taiwan, Graham had stated: "National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military."
• During her primary campaign, Graham acknowledged her lack of political experience, particularly after stumbling on a foreign policy question during a recent debate.

For context, a political newcomer, she conceded during the primary that she was "not that informed on national security". Trump won the state by 18 points in 2024.

Her brother, Lindsey Graham, was elected to the Senate in 2002 and was one of Washington's most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas.

Taken together, the developments around south Carolina elects Democratic senator for first time in almost three decades point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.