South Carolina Republicans Fracture After 5-Point Senate Loss to Democrat Annie Andrews
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 7
South Carolina Republicans Fracture After 5-Point Senate Loss to Democrat Annie Andrews
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 7
Summary
Annie Andrews defeated appointed Republican Senator Darline Graham by about 5 percentage points, making her South Carolina’s first Democratic senator since 1998.
That upset in one of the nation’s most conservative states has triggered a blame fight among South Carolina Republicans, who are searching for strategic mistakes beyond the broader midterm backlash.
Trump has become a central target because he endorsed Graham in a contested primary and campaigned heavily for her, then said he felt “very badly” about the result while taking no responsibility.
His intervention also deepened intraparty rifts by sidelining White House ally Russell Fry and fueling a feud with Representative Ralph Norman, who said Trump should not have gotten involved.