Washington, Nov 2026 : Democrat Annie Andrews has won South Carolina's US Senate seat, defeating President Donald Trump's endorsed candidate Darline Graham in a major electoral upset in a state that Trump carried by nearly 18 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
Andrews' victory, along with Democrat Roy Cooper's win in North Carolina's Senate race, gives the party two of the four additional seats it needs to gain control of the Senate. The results also indicate that Democratic candidates are making gains in traditionally Republican strongholds.
However, it remained too early to determine whether Democrats could repeat these performances in other crucial Senate contests in Alaska, Iowa, Michigan, Maine, Ohio and Texas. Millions of votes were still to be counted in those states, leaving the final balance of power in the chamber uncertain.
Andrews, a paediatrician, becomes the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in South Carolina in 28 years. The contest had not initially been considered competitive by either party, but the political landscape shifted in the weeks leading up to polling.
The Senate seat became vacant following the death of Trump's ally, Senator Lindsey Graham. His sister, Darline Graham, was appointed to serve the remainder of his term, after which Trump encouraged her to contest the seat for a full six-year term.
However, her limited political experience emerged as a challenge during the campaign, as Andrews gained ground among voters.
The South Carolina result adds to a series of encouraging outcomes for Democrats in the Senate elections. The party also retained its Senate seats in Georgia and New Hampshire, two contests that had earlier been viewed as competitive but gradually moved beyond Republican reach.
The results came amid declining approval ratings for Trump, providing Democrats with an opportunity to make electoral gains across states with differing political profiles.
With several key races still undecided, the outcome of the remaining contests will determine whether Democrats can secure the additional seats required to take control of the US Senate.
