Annie Andrews launches Senate bid to challenge Lindsey Graham
Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and former congressional candidate, has announced her run for the U.S. senate to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Lindsey graham in the 2026 election. In her first campaign video, Andrews criticized Graham for his historical criticisms of Donald trump, stating, “He’s full of s***,” and expressed her belief that South Carolina deserves better representation. She denounced the Trump governance and highlighted graham’s role in confirming controversial cabinet members. Andrews pointed out that Graham has been in office for half her life and argued that he does not automatically deserve reelection. She joins another Democratic challenger, Lee Johnson, in the race against Graham, who is seeking a fifth term after being elected in 2002. The Cook Political Report currently rates the South Carolina Senate race as “solid Republican.”
Former House candidate Annie Andrews launches Senate bid to challenge Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has another Democratic challenger in his 2026 reelection effort, after Dr. Annie Andrews announced her bid to unseat him to represent the Palmetto State.
Andrews, a pediatrician and former House candidate who tried to unseat Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) in 2022, released her first campaign video Thursday morning. In the video, she claimed Graham is “full of s***” by pointing to the senator’s criticisms of President Donald Trump prior to the 2016 election.
“It’s embarrassing, and South Carolina deserves better. So today, I’m announcing that I’m running for the United States Senate to replace Lindsey Graham,” Andrews said in the video. “But this isn’t just about Lindsey or Donald Trump, take a look around.”
She then ripped the Trump administration, discussing now-departed de facto Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk’s efforts to cut the federal government and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts at that agency. Andrews also took aim at Education Secretary Linda McMahon as “the wrestling lady” and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as the “guy who can’t even organize a text thread.”
“And Lindsey Graham voted to confirm every single one of these people,” Andrews said.
The Democratic Senate hopeful also criticized Graham over his long tenure in the upper chamber of Congress, noting he has been there for half of her lifetime, and claiming that he “doesn’t deserve a free pass back to D.C.”
Andrews is the second Democrat to announce her candidacy for the seat, after Lee Johnson announced his bid earlier this month.
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Graham is seeking his fifth term in the Senate after being elected in 2002. While Democrat Jamie Harrison set a record for fundraising in his 2020 effort to unseat Graham, the incumbent Republican easily won his most recent reelection effort, 54.4% to 44.2%.
The Cook Political Report has rated South Carolina’s 2026 Senate race as “solid Republican.”
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