Trump Returns to South Carolina as Dem Annie Andrews Challenges GOP Darline Graham/ NEWSLOOKS/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ President Donald Trump is returning to South Carolina Thursday to support Republican Sen. Darline Graham in an unexpectedly competitive Senate race. Democratic challenger Annie Andrews is appealing to voters dissatisfied with Republican leadership in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator in nearly three decades. The contest could prove critical to Republicans’ efforts to retain their Senate majority.
Quick Look
- Trump’s visit: The president is expected to speak in Rock Hill after 12:30 p.m. Eastern Thursday.
- Second appearance: This is Trump’s second South Carolina visit this month.
- Republican incumbent: Darline Graham was appointed in July after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.
- Full-term contest: Graham became the Republican nominee in August and is seeking a six-year term.
- Democratic challenger: Pediatrician Annie Andrews is asking voters to consider a change in representation.
- Republican stronghold: Trump won South Carolina by nearly 18 percentage points in 2024.
- Crossover appeal: Andrews is seeking support from dissatisfied Republicans.
- National stakes: Keeping the seat is central to Republicans’ hopes of maintaining Senate control.
Deep Look
Trump Returns to Support Darline Graham
President Donald Trump is scheduled to rally Republicans in Rock Hill on Thursday as an unexpectedly competitive South Carolina Senate race adds to the party’s concerns before next week’s election.
Trump’s remarks are expected after 12:30 p.m. Eastern.
The appearance will be his second visit to the state this month, underscoring Republican efforts to defend a seat in territory he carried by nearly 18 percentage points in 2024.
“Big Rally in South Carolina for the wonderful Darline Graham, today,” Trump wrote on social media Thursday morning. “She is fantastic. Lindsey is watching, and very proud of her!!!”
Trump endorsed Graham during the Republican primary. Holding her seat is essential to the party’s effort to preserve its Senate majority.
Andrews Asks Voters to Give Democrats a Chance
Democratic nominee Annie Andrews has mounted a stronger-than-expected challenge in a state that has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly three decades.
Speaking Wednesday in Fort Mill, a rapidly growing Upstate community, she urged voters to consider a different approach.
“Let’s try something new for once,” Andrews said. “If she doesn’t do what she says she’s going to do, you can fire me in six years. I promise that I won’t let you down, that I’m going to win you all over.”
Andrews is a pediatrician who previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress. Her current campaign has made a Senate contest that might ordinarily draw little national attention a significant part of the closing midterm battle.
Graham Seeks Full Term After Appointment
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham in July to serve the remaining months of her brother Lindsey Graham’s term following his sudden death.
She secured the Republican nomination in August and is now seeking election to a full six-year term.
Her path to the seat has become a concern for some voters.
“The Senate is not an inherited position,” said Benjamin Updegraft, a 32-year-old software engineer. “This is not a country where these noble titles are passed down between families.”
Dissatisfied Republicans Could Shape the Outcome
For Andrews, winning in conservative South Carolina will likely require attracting voters who normally support Republicans.
Brent Chaplin, a 37-year-old finance and accounting worker, said he is a registered Republican, “but it’s hard to be that right now.”
Chaplin, who voted for Trump in 2016, said he cast his ballot for Andrews and encouraged others to examine candidates beyond their party labels.
“You just can’t go and say I’m a Republican, I’m just going to vote Republican,” he said. “You’ve got to put some brainpower into it and think about it. So hopefully it is a message to the powers that be to wake up, pick better candidates.”
Trump’s return is intended to counter that vulnerability by encouraging loyal Republican voters to participate in the Nov. 3 election.
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