The Fox News Decision Desk projects that Democratic challenger Annie Andrews has defeated appointed GOP Sen. Darline Graham, the younger sister of the late longtime Sen. Lindsey Graham, to win a six-year term representing South Carolina in the Senate.
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Andrews → project → Senate
With her major upset, Andrews, a pediatrician who ran as an outsider, becomes the first Democrat in nearly three decades to win a Senate election in South Carolina.
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who → run → Carolina
Having a very familiar name in South Carolina and receiving two 11th-hour campaign trail stops by President Donald Trump weren't enough to help push Graham over the finish line in the ruby-red southeastern state.
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Having → have → state
The race became increasingly competitive in the final weeks of the campaign.
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race → become → campaign
And outside groups aligned with Republicans and Democrats poured cash and resources into the ballot box showdown at the 11th hour.
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groups → align → hour
With some of the top nonpartisan political handicappers shifting the contest in the direction of the Democrats, Trump traveled to South Carolina with less than two weeks until Election Day to rally with Graham.
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Trump → shift → Graham
"She’s smart and incredible.
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She → ’ → ?
She’ll never let you down," Trump said as he praised Graham at an Oct. 21 stop in Upstate South Carolina.
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he → let → Carolina
Democratic strategist Mally Smith told Fox News Digital that "South Carolina bows to no king."
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Carolina → tell → king
"President Trump tried to hand-pick his successor in South Carolina, and the voters emphatically rejected his choice.
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voters → try → choice
Americans are sick of electing MAGA puppets to higher office who enable Trump’s erratic behavior and blatant corruption," said Smith.
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Smith → elect → behavior
During the general election campaign, Graham emphasized her support for Trump’s agenda, continuing her brother’s work in the Senate, and spotlighting cost of living issues.
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Graham → emphasize → issues
"I know how it feels to live paycheck to paycheck.
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it → know → paycheck
There's been many years in my life that I've lived paycheck to paycheck like a lot of South Carolinians.
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I → be → Carolinians
So I know they're feeling it at the gas pumps," Graham said in a recent interview on Fox News' "America Reports."
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Graham → know → Reports
"Suspending the gas tax, that's a temporary solution.
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that → suspend → tax
I'm glad that President Trump eased regulations on red-dyed diesel.
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Trump → ease → diesel
I think that helps farmers.
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that → think → farmers
But the long-term solution is easing regulations on drilling and oil refineries.
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solution → ease → drilling
Andrews also made affordability, along with healthcare costs, a centerpiece of her Senate campaign, and highlighted her experience as a pediatrician working with children and families.
"
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affordability → make → children
I never in a million years thought I would be running for federal office, let alone a US Senate seat, but I have 20 years of experience working inside America's broken healthcare system, coming face to face with all of Washington's failures in my hospital exam rooms.
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I → think → rooms
And I take that experience and I bring it to the campaign trail," Andrews emphasized in a recent Fox News Digital interview.
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Andrews → take → interview
After her brother's sudden death in July, GOP Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham to fill the remainder of the late senator's current term, which concludes at the end of this year.
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which → appoint → year
At the time of his death, Lindsey Graham had won renomination in South Carolina's June primary.
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Graham → win → primary
With Trump's urging and support, Graham ran in a special Republican Senate nomination primary to succeed her brother.
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Graham → run → brother
She defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in a late August runoff election after the two advanced two weeks earlier from a crowded 10-candidate primary.
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two → defeat → primary
The Aporia
