COLUMBIA, SC – Dr. Annie Andrews, a Charleston-based pediatrician and Democrat who ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Nancy Mace in 2022, has announced she will challenge four-term Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in the 2026 U.S. Senate race.
Andrews criticized Graham for shifting his stances over his political career, stating he prioritizes reelection over principles. In her campaign launch video, she highlighted Graham’s evolving position on former President Donald Trump, noting his transition from criticizing Trump to becoming one of his staunch Senate allies.
The video includes archival footage of Graham calling Trump’s critics "kooks" while previously referring to Trump’s 2016 GOP primary opponent by the same term. Andrews also condemned Graham’s support for Trump’s Cabinet nominees and his association with Elon Musk, whom she accused of undermining Social Security, Medicare, and veterans’ healthcare.
Andrews further criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, referencing a recent Signal chat controversy involving war plans. Despite the longstanding Republican dominance in South Carolina Senate races, where Democrats have not won in decades, Andrews remains optimistic about her campaign.
When Graham last ran in 2020, he defeated Democrat Jaime Harrison by 10 percentage points in South Carolina’s most expensive Senate race ever, with both candidates raising over $200 million combined. Harrison later became chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Andrews’ 2022 House bid saw her lose to Mace by 14 percentage points in South Carolina’s 1st District, the only district to flip from red to blue in recent years. Andrews has since focused on founding a political organization that addresses children’s issues such as climate change, gun violence, and poverty. Her affiliated PAC, Their Future PAC, supported multiple candidates in 2024 and holds funds for future efforts.
Addressing the Democratic Party’s challenges in South Carolina, Andrews attributed Harrison’s 2020 loss partly to pandemic-related constraints and argued that voters are now feeling the effects of prior chaotic policies. She stated, "Lindsey Graham has had 22 years to improve life for South Carolinians, but many struggle to see the benefits of his tenure."
Sen. Graham began his 2026 re-election campaign in February, with endorsements from Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Tim Scott, who also chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee. At least one Republican challenger has already declared a primary bid against Graham.
