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By Hollie Silverman and Steven Frank
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Democrat Annie Andrews pulled off a seismic shock in South Carolina by beating incumbent Republican Senator Darline Graham, giving Demcorats a strong position to flip the Senate.
The shock result is a huge blow to President Donald Trump, who won the state by 18 points just two years ago and personally appointed Graham after the death of her brother, longtime Senator Lindsey Graham.
What the Result Means for Senate Control
Republicans entered the election cycle holding 53 Senate seats. Democrats held 45, while two independents caucused with them, giving the Democratic-aligned bloc 47 seats.
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Democrats need a net gain of four seats to reach the 51 needed for outright control, assuming they retain all their current seats. Republicans can retain control with 50 senators because Vice President JD Vance can break a 50-50 tie.
Andrews' victory gives Democrats one of those four necessary pickups. South Carolina may not determine Senate control on its own, but the result could become decisive depending on the outcomes of other battleground races.
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The Lindsey Graham and Trump Factor
The election is also a test of the political coalition associated with Lindsey Graham, who represented South Carolina in the Senate for more than two decades.
Once an occasional critic of Trump, Lindsey Graham became one of his most prominent Senate allies. Trump backed Darline Graham during the Republican nomination fight, closely linking her candidacy to the president’s political brand.
That makes the final margin nearly as important as the winner. A Graham victory significantly smaller than Trump’s 17.9-point margin in 2024 or her brother’s 10.3-point margin in 2020 could provide Democrats with evidence of a more difficult midterm environment for Republicans.
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