In short
- Democrat Annie Andrews, a former paediatrician, is projected to win South Carolina’s Senate seat, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
- Republican Darline Graham was appointed to the seat in July after the sudden death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, and the appointment won the support of President Donald Trump.
- The result gives Democrats their first victory in South Carolina for 28 years.
- President Donald Trump won South Carolina by 18 points in 2024.
- Lindsey Graham was elected to the Senate in 2002 and became one of Washington’s most influential voices on foreign policy.
Democrat Annie Andrews, a former paediatrician, is projected to win South Carolina’s Senate seat in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner. Republican Darline Graham, who was appointed to the seat in July, is projected to have lost the race, giving Democrats their first victory in the state for 28 years.
What happened in the South Carolina Senate race?
CBS projected that Annie Andrews would take the seat and that Darline Graham would lose it. Graham had been appointed in July, after the sudden death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, and the appointment won the support of President Donald Trump.
Who is Annie Andrews?
Annie Andrews is a Democrat and a former paediatrician. CBS, the BBC’s US partner, projected that she was on course to pull off an upset in the state.
Who is Darline Graham?
Darline Graham entered the race as a political newcomer. During the primary campaign she acknowledged her lack of political experience and conceded that she was “not that informed on national security”.
What did Darline Graham say about Taiwan?
Asked about the US stance towards Taiwan during a recent debate, Graham said: “National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.” The BBC reported that she stumbled on a foreign policy question during the debate.
Senators vote on military and foreign policy questions, including the war in Ukraine, where Russian strikes on an aid centre killed 26 people, according to Kyiv.
Why is the result significant?
Trump won South Carolina by 18 points in 2024. Lindsey Graham was elected to the Senate in 2002 and became one of Washington’s most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas.
US officials said American forces struck Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, the kind of overseas military action Lindsey Graham often advocated.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the South Carolina Senate seat?
CBS, the BBC’s US partner, projected that Democrat Annie Andrews, a former paediatrician, would win the seat and that Republican Darline Graham would lose it.
Why was the South Carolina Senate seat open?
Republican Darline Graham was appointed to the seat in July after the sudden death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, and the appointment won the support of President Donald Trump.
What did Darline Graham say about national security?
Asked about the US stance towards Taiwan during a debate, she said: “National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military.”
When was Lindsey Graham elected to the Senate?
Lindsey Graham was elected to the Senate in 2002 and became one of Washington’s most influential voices on foreign policy, often pushing for US military intervention overseas.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)