Democrat Annie Andrews has scored a victory over Republican Darline Graham in the closely watched South Carolina’s Senate seat, previously held by the late Lindsey Graham. Reacting to the unexpected result on air, Rep. Nancy Mace appeared stunned, stating, “It’s unf**king real.”
Nancy Mace reacts to Annie Andrews defeating Darline Graham in South Carolina Senate race
Andrews, a paediatrician who graduated from the University of Dayton, is set to become South Carolina’s first Democratic senator in more than two decades. Her win marks a major political milestone in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998 and gave Trump an 18-point victory in 2024.
Following the victory, Andrew took to X and wrote, “South Carolina, you have shown the nation — in an era of partisan divides, of vitriol and name-calling, in a politics dominated by billionaires, special interests, and insiders in Washington — that we will not bow down. We will not back down. And we will chart our own course.”
Although this was Andrews’ first Senate campaign, it wasn’t her first attempt at elected office. She previously challenged Nancy Mace for her House seat in 2022 but failed to secure a victory, reports The Times.
Mace, who made history as The Citadel’s first female graduate in 1999 and later became the first Republican woman elected to Congress from South Carolina, spoke to Piers Morgan during his live election coverage. She struggled to hide her disbelief following Andrews’ victory over Graham. The 48-year-old said it’s “unf**king real.”
She pointed out that South Carolina had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998, when moderate Democrat Fritz Hollings held the seat. Mace recalled knowing Hollings personally and described him as a great person and a great American. However, she argued that Andrews’ victory was not necessarily an endorsement of the Democratic candidate but rather a vote against “coronation” and “nepotism.”
