Democrat Annie Andrews wins South Carolina Senate race

Democrats notched an upset victory in South Carolina’s Senate race, NBC News projects, with Annie Andrews toppling Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed earlier this year to succeed her late brother, longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Andrews, a pediatrician, will be the state’s first Democratic senator in more than 20 years. President Donald Trump carried South Carolina by more than 17 percentage points two years ago.

Darline Graham, a former administrator in state government, was appointed in July by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster after Lindsey Graham, a five-term senator and stalwart fixture of Washington, died suddenly due to a heart problem.

Darline Graham then decided to run for a full term, starting in a special primary election, but she soon earned criticism for lacking fluency on some policy issues. She admitted in a debate with a Republican rival that she was “not that informed on national security,” though she went on to win the GOP nomination.

Although the race was seen as a long shot for Democrats, Graham’s weaknesses prompted the Cook Political Report to shift the race in September from “solidly” Republican to “likely” Republican. Meanwhile, Andrews significantly outraised and outspent Graham, who had to start her campaign from scratch mid-election cycle.

In the final pre-election fundraising period, Andrews’ campaign raised more than $4 million, mostly from online donors, and spent over $4.6 million in two weeks. Graham’s campaign raised about $90,000 and spent $65,000.

The race saw a surge in outside spending in the closing stretch. Senate Leadership Fund, a GOP super PAC, spent $13 million to boost Graham, while Senate Majority PAC, which is aligned with Democratic leadership, announced a last-minute $750,000 digital buy.

Andrews and Graham traded barbs in an October debate, with Graham accusing Andrews of being unwilling to “stand up to socialist Democrats,” while Andrews said Graham was little more than a rubber stamp for Trump’s agenda. Andrews said she supported the Second Amendment — but Graham noted that Andrews has served as a senior adviser to Everytown, the prominent gun control advocacy group.

Andrews has also been accused of backpedaling on previous language signaling emphatic support for transgender people. Graham said Andrews has been “deceiving the people of South Carolina” and has “flip-flopped on everything.”

Graham also made a notable break with Trump last month after the president announced he would waive sanctions against Russia, going around a new law that was named after her brother.

“Personally, I would choose to put the pressure on Russia to end the war and get gas prices down,” Graham told reporters at a campaign event. “Because I don’t trust Putin, and I don’t trust Russia.”

Her remarks came even as Trump was slated to appear at a campaign stop for her in the state.