Darline Graham, a political newcomer, is seeking a six-year term in the U.S. Senate after her brother Lindsey Graham's death in July upended the race in South Carolina.
asserted
death → seek → Carolina
She held the seat in a placeholder role before launching her own campaign.
asserted
She → hold → campaign
Six months ago, the contest was expected to be another straightforward campaign for the incumbent Republican, whose party dominates the state.
asserted
party → expect → state
Supporters of the Democrat Annie Andrews now believe something once considered impossible may be within reach: flipping a Senate seat in one of the nation's most reliable GOP strongholds.
uncertain
something → believe → strongholds
No Democrat has come close this century, with Republicans winning statewide by double-digit margins.
asserted
Republicans → come → margins
Whispers that Andrews could pull off an upset have grown into actual predictions.
uncertain
Andrews → pull → predictions
She could become the first Democrat since 1998 to win a statewide race for the U.S. Senate or the governor's office.
uncertain
She → become → Senate
Whoever wins the election will be the first woman elected to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.
asserted
wins → win → Senate
Trump meddling sparks backlash for Darline Graham in South Carolina
Donald Trump's endorsement of Darline Graham in South Carolina's Senate race may be costing her support on both flanks.
uncertain
endorsement → spark → flanks
Independent voters disaffected with the president's second term are bothered by his intervention, as are supporters of U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman on the right, who think the state's voters should have made the choice.
asserted
voters → bother → choice
Both camps are also uneasy about Graham's lack of experience and the possibility of the seat becoming a Graham family dynasty.
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seat → become → experience
She was abruptly thrust into the political spotlight after her brother, a U.S. Senate stalwart, died seeking his fifth term.
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brother → thrust → term
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to finish her brother's term in a widely hailed move, given the siblings' close relationship.
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McMaster → appoint → relationship
Lindsey Graham helped raise his younger sister after their parents' early deaths.
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Graham → help → deaths
Her decision to seek a full six-year term was more surprising.
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decision → seek → term
The snap primary, organized just a month after Lindsey Graham's death, drew some of the top names in South Carolina politics.
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primary → organize → politics
President Donald Trump wanted Darline Graham in the Senate, and he immediately and forcefully backed her.
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he → want → her
The president had feuded with her brother at times but saw Lindsey Graham as an ally during his second White House term, particularly on the war with Iran.
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president → feud → Iran
As Graham and Norman, an occasional Trump critic, battled it out in a primary runoff, the president campaigned for her in the state and returned twice in the final weeks before the election.
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president → battle → election
In a primary debate, Graham was asked whether the U.S. has a national security interest in Taiwan and the South China Sea – a longstanding contention of both Democratic and Republican administrations.
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U.S. → ask → administrations
She struggled to answer before admitting, “National security is not my thing.”
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security → struggle → ?
As Republican-affiliated groups across the country reshuffled last-minute campaign spending, Senate Republicans' primary super PAC sent reinforcements to deep-red South Carolina to shore up Graham.
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PAC → affiliate → Graham
Even so, Republicans said they remained confident they would retain the seat.
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they → say → seat
Annie Andrews bypasses national Democrats to take aim at Graham dynasty
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Andrews → bypass → Graham
In recent weeks, Andrews has run an independent campaign and has rarely appeared alongside prominent Democrats from South Carolina or elsewhere.
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Andrews → run → Carolina
She has focused on economic problems.
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She → focus → problems
She says Graham will be like her brother, a part of the same Washington cabal that enriches only itself and cares little about the people back home.
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that → say → people
Andrews had already been campaigning for more than a year when Lindsey Graham died.
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Graham → campaign → year
She had won her primary outright by that point.
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She → win → point
Graham's death forced her to rejigger a general election plan centered on ousting the incumbent.
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death → force → incumbent
Andrews has benefited from South Carolina's leadoff status on Democrats' 2028 presidential nominating calendar.
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Andrews → benefit → calendar
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly have visited the state.
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Buttigieg → visit → state
Their visits boosted her visibility and their own.
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visits → boost → visibility
When they met for their sole debate last month, Graham and Andrews traded barbs over the economy, war with Iran and artificial intelligence.
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Graham → meet → Iran
History favors Republicans despite tight polls
South Carolina has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since Fritz Hollings, who won his final term in 1998.
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who → favor → 1998
Republicans have held both of the state’s Senate seats since then.
asserted
Republicans → hold → seats
Only one Democrat, Jim Clyburn, currently represents South Carolina in the U.S. House.
asserted
Democrat → represent → House
A New York Times/Siena poll conducted in October appeared to show a close race this year.
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poll → conduct → race
Polls also suggested a close contest in 2020, when Lindsey Graham, Democrat Jaime Harrison, and outside groups supporting their campaigns spent hundreds of millions of dollars in South Carolina’s most expensive election.
uncertain
Graham → suggest → election
That contest was a reelection, Lindsey Graham’s last, and the Republican sailed back into office by a 10-percentage-point margin.
asserted
Republican → sail → margin
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
