New Delhi: Darline Graham, who was appointed to the US Senate from South Carolina earlier this year following the death of her brother Senator Lindsey Graham, is set to lose the seat in the 2026 midterm elections. The defeat is a stinging rebuke to President Donald J. Trump as Democratic candidate Annie Andrews will be sworn in as the next Junior Senator from the state in January.
Andrews is the first Democrat to win a Senate seat from South Carolina since 1998, in a reversal of the Republican Party fortunes in a seat held by Lindsey Graham for 23 years, and before him by Strom Thurmond, who was one of the strongest political voices defending racial segregation in the 1960s and 1970s.
Lindsey Graham died in July this year, and the Republican Party moved swiftly to nominate his sister Darline to hold the seat, later supporting her candidacy for a full term. Trump had won the state by over 18 points in 2024.
As a Senator, Lindsey Graham had risen to become one of the most influential Republican leaders in foreign policy and national security, and even spearheaded the bill that would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 500 percent on countries purchasing Russian oil. A staunch supporter of Ukraine, Graham had visited the European country just days before he died.
In the weeks following his death, the Republicans supported by the White House moved quickly to pass Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning of Russia and Iran Act, allowing Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries purchasing Russian and Iranian oil. The Act set off warning bells in New Delhi, as India remains a major buyer of Russian oil.
India has consistently warned against the imposition of tariffs for its purchase of Russian oil, highlighting that it continues to buy crude oil based on its needs and the prevailing prices on the global market.
Darline, while on campaign trail, had conceded that national security and foreign policy is not her strong suit. The race was called for Andrews early Tuesday evening by the Associated Press, with the Democratic candidate leading by around five percentage points in the votes counted thus far.
Andrews, a pediatrician by profession, promised to defend the interests of South Carolina even against her own party in her victory speech. Her win was being seen as a longshot in a state that was considered to be safely Republican for over two decades.
The Democratic candidate, however, had a head-start to Darline Graham. Darline had to start her campaign from the beginning in July, following the death of her brother. Andrews consistently outraided and outspent Graham in the last few months.
NBC News reported that Andrews spent roughly $4.6 million in the final two weeks leading up to election date, while Graham’s campaign was able to raise around $90,000 and spend about $65,000 during the same time period.
Andrews had a previous run for a House seat in 2022, losing to Republican Nancy Mace by almost 14 percentage points.
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