Democrat Annie Andrews defeats GOP Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina, a major upset

Democrats notched an upset victory in South Carolina’s Senate race, NBC News projects, with Annie Andrews toppling Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed this year to succeed her late brother, longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham. Andrews, a pediatrician, will be the state’s first Democratic senator in more than 20 years. President Donald Trump carried South Carolina by more than 17 percentage points two years ago. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham, a former administrator in state government, in July after Lindsey Graham, a five-term senator and stalwart fixture of Washington, died suddenly because of a heart problem. Follow live updates on the midterm elections Darline Graham then decided to run for a full term, starting in a special primary election, but she soon drew criticism for lacking fluency on some policy issues.

She admitted in a debate with a Republican rival that she was “not that informed on national security,” though she went on to win the GOP nomination. Although the race was seen as a long shot for Democrats, Graham’s weaknesses prompted the Cook Political Report to shift it in September from “solidly” Republican to “likely” Republican. Meanwhile, Andrews significantly outraised and outspent Graham, who had to start her campaign from scratch mid-election cycle. In the final pre-election fundraising period, Andrews’ campaign raised more than $4 million, mostly from