For the first time in nearly three decades, voters in South Carolina have selected a Democratic candidate to represent them in the United States Senate.
Pediatrician Annie Andrews (D) defeated Darline Graham (R) , the sister of longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), who filled his vacant seat earlier this year when he unexpectedly passed away.
Unlike her brother, Graham did not come to the job with any political experience. That became incredibly noticeable to voters in the state during a debate between her and Andrews in August, when she was asked a foreign policy question about China and the U.S. commitment to defend Taiwan.
“I’m just going to be honest here. I’m not on national security — I’m not that informed on national security,” Graham said in her response.
Trump touted Graham as an acceptable replacement for her brother, campaigning last month in the state on her behalf. But with the president’s approval ratings souring throughout the country, it’s possible his presence did more harm than good for her.
As of 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time, with over 95 percent of the vote counted, Andrews led Graham by a margin of 51.1 percent of the vote to 46.7 percent. The 4.4 gap in this year’s race is an incredible flip from when Trump won the state in 2024, which he did by nearly 18 points.
Andrews thanked voters for propelling her to victory in a speech on Tuesday evening, after the race was called for her, recognizing the near-impossible odds she was given to win by prognosticators only a few weeks ago.
“South Carolina, you have shown the nation what is possible,” Andrews said. “You have shown the nation that in this era of partisan divides, of vitriol and name-calling, in politics dominated by billionaires and special interest groups and insiders in Washington D.C., that we will not bow down, that we will not back down, and we will chart our own course.”
Later on Tuesday, Democrats were projected to win total control over both the House of Representatives and the Senate, in part due to Andrews’s incredible win.
Before Election Day, Democrats were expected to win the House, but it was unclear whether the election would result in a “blue wave” or a “blue tsunami.” As results began coming in, it became evident that the latter would occur, as voters across the country used their votes to send a message to the Trump administration and its Republican allies, delivering a sharp repudiation of the president’s policies, principles, and actions over the past two years.
Beyond South Carolina, voters elected James Talarico (D) to the U.S. Senate seat in Texas, defeating state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in that race. Talarico became the first Democratic senator to win in the state in over three decades. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also conceded his re-election bid to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, who becomes the first Latina woman ever to serve as chief executive of the Lone Star State.
Final outcomes for the midterms, including total seats won in both chambers, remain unknown for both houses of Congress, as several election counts have yet to be completed or certified, particularly in the western half of the country. However, at around midnight, The Associated Press projected that Democrats would have at least 52 Senate seats, meaning the party will have enough votes to control that chamber (and overcome any support for Republican proposals from Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman).
Instead of having full support from Congress on most matters, President Donald Trump will now have to contend with Democrats having at least some power to thwart many of his policy objectives, including potentially his continuing war in Iran, his draconian immigration actions, and his attempts to reshape Washington D.C. in his own image, both figuratively and literally. Democrats in the House will also have subpoena power, allowing them to conduct investigations into the administration’s actions, both in the future as well as in the past. Democrats may even consider impeachment hearings against Trump cabinet members or against Trump himself in the near future.
Despite months of polls demonstrating his deep unpopularity, Trump refused to take any blame for Republican losses.
“I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday night.
Notably, Trump had begged voters at multiple campaign rallies over the past several weeks to “pretend” he was on the ballot.
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