South Carolina elects Democratic senator for first time in almost three decades

Democrat Annie Andrews is projected to have won South Carolina's Senate race, in what would be the party's first victory in the state in 28 years. The former paediatrician was on course to defeat Republican candidate Darline Graham in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to projections cited by the BBC's US partner CBS. If confirmed, the result would mark a significant political shift in a state that has been firmly Republican in recent federal elections.

Graham was appointed to the seat in July after the sudden death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, and entered the race with the backing of President Donald Trump. During the primary campaign, she acknowledged that she was not well informed on national security, a point that became part of the wider scrutiny of her candidacy. She also stumbled on a foreign policy question in a debate, when asked about the US position on Taiwan.

The projected result would hand Democrats their first Senate victory in South Carolina since 1998. It would also end a brief tenure for Graham in the seat she filled after her brother's death. Lindsey Graham, elected to the Senate in 2002, was one of Washington's most influential voices on foreign policy and often argued for US military intervention overseas.

The race has drawn attention because it reflects broader questions about the political direction of the midterm elections and the strength of party loyalties in the South. South Carolina has long been a difficult state for Democrats in statewide federal contests, making any projected win there notable. The result also comes amid wider scrutiny of how candidates with limited political experience are received in high-stakes national races.

What remains unclear is whether the projection will be confirmed in the final count and by what margin Andrews will win. The immediate next step is the completion of the vote tally and any formal certification process. The result will also be watched for what it suggests about Democratic momentum and Republican performance in other closely contested races.

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