Pediatrician Annie Andrews asks South Carolina voters for a chance

President Donald Trump will travel to nearby Rock Hill on Thursday to press the party faithful to show up in next week’s election, a sign of the party’s anxiety in a race Republicans view as essential to keeping their Senate majority. The trip marks the second time this month that Trump has been to South Carolina, a state he won by nearly 18 percentage points in 2024.

The race pits Graham — the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, appointed in July by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster to fill the remaining months of her brother’s term after his sudden death — against Andrews, a pediatrician who previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress. Graham became the GOP nominee in August to succeed her brother for a full six-year term. Senate races are often an afterthought in this Republican stronghold, but Andrews has mounted an unexpectedly competitive campaign.

Speaking Wednesday in Fort Mill, a rapidly growing part of the Upstate, Andrews made a request of voters who haven’t sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in nearly three decades: give her a chance. “Let’s try something new for once,” she said. “If she doesn’t do what she says she’s going to do, you can fire me in six years. I promise that I won’t let you down, that I’m going to win you all over.”

Trump, who backed Graham in her primary, posted on social media Thursday morning: “Big Rally in South Carolina for the wonderful Darline Graham, today,” and added, “She is fantastic. Lindsey is watching, and very proud of her!!!”

Andrews’ success will likely hinge on winning support from disaffected Republicans like Brent Chaplin, a 37-year-old who works in finance and accounting. Chaplin, a registered Republican who voted for Trump in 2016, said “it’s hard to be that right now.” He said he voted for Andrews and encouraged voters to think beyond partisan politics.

“You just can’t go and say I’m a Republican, I’m just going to vote Republican,” Chaplin said. “You’ve got to put some brainpower into it and think about it. So hopefully it is a message to the powers that be to wake up, pick better candidates.”

Benjamin Updegraft, a 32-year-old software engineer, expressed frustration that the Senate seat might stay in the Graham family. “The Senate is not an inherited position,” he said. “This is not a country where these noble titles are passed down between families.”

South Carolina voters cast ballots in the race next week.