Annie Andrews Flips South Carolina Senate Seat, Giving Democrats 2028 Opening in a Once-Red State
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 10
Annie Andrews Flips South Carolina Senate Seat, Giving Democrats 2028 Opening in a Once-Red State
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 10
Summary
Annie Andrews’s upset Senate win ended Republicans’ decades-long grip on the seat and helped hand Democrats an unexpected Senate majority, prompting South Carolina Democrats to argue the state can now compete in 2028.
Nearly 5 points separated Darline Graham from the victorious Republican gubernatorial nominee, reinforcing Democrats’ view that GOP infighting and voter resistance to Graham were central to Andrews’s breakthrough.
Since 2023, state chair Christale Spain expanded year-round organizing, built a paid canvassing program and fielded Democrats in every statehouse race, efforts party officials say turned a one-off upset into broader gains.
Democrats also flipped 1 U.S. House seat and 10 Republican-held statehouse seats, breaking the GOP’s two-thirds supermajority and strengthening the case that South Carolina is shifting toward a lighter shade of purple.
August’s decision to make South Carolina the first Democratic presidential primary in 2028 is already drawing candidates, donor money and media attention, though party leaders say the national Democratic brand still remains toxic in much of the state.