President Donald Trump will visit South Carolina on Wednesday to boost Sen. Darline Graham, whose stumbles in her first campaign since replacing her late brother have Democratic voters hopeful — but not necessarily optimistic — that their candidate can break Republicans’ grip on the state.
asserted
candidate → visit → state
Although South Carolina is not typically a midterm battleground, Trump has been deeply invested in Graham.
asserted
Trump → invest → Graham
He supported her appointment to replace Lindsey Graham after his death in July, and he backed her in a special primary when she faced several more experienced Republican opponents.
asserted
she → support → opponents
Now the party wants to make sure Annie Andrews, the Democratic nominee and a pediatrician, doesn’t pull off an upset victory.
asserted
pull → want → victory
More than $34 million has flowed into the race, and Republicans have hammered Andrews as a “radical liberal” and accused her of supporting surgeries for transgender minors, which she denies.
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she → flow → which
Trump this week is rallying every day for candidates across the country, even in conservative areas, and imploring voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot” in hopes of averting a lackluster midterm turnout for Republicans.
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I → rally → Republicans
“Darline Graham knows that our campaign’s momentum is so strong she called Donald Trump to come campaign for her in South Carolina,” Andrews said in a fundraising appeal email.
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Andrews → know → email
Darline Graham rushed to define herself — and clung close to Trump
Lindsey Graham had been on a glide path to a fifth term when he died of an aortic tear.
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he → rush → tear
Darline Graham, former director of the state agency for the blind, received bipartisan support when she was appointed to serve out her brother’s term.
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she → receive → term
But her decision to run for the seat in the midterms prompted skepticism that the political neophyte was up for the job.
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neophyte → run → job
Graham had the endorsement of Trump, who campaigned for her before the runoff with Rep. Ralph Norman.
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who → have → Norman
A stumble over a question related to U.S. policy in Taiwan, in which Graham admitted she was “not that informed on national security,” prompted questions over her readiness.
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she → relate → readiness
Waiting for her at a weekend event in Mt. Pleasant, Nanette Tumbleston said she felt strongly Graham should win, shuddering to think of what might happen if the seat fell to Democrats.
uncertain
seat → wait → Democrats
“I hope that everybody’s eyes will be open and we’ll have a Republican win,” Tumbleston said, adding that she feared progressives’ influence in the Democratic Party.
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she → hope → Party
“I just can’t see how they can see that the world’s going to be a better place with those policies.”
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world → see → policies
Andrews pivoted from Lindsey Graham to Darline Graham
Andrews launched her campaign more than a year before Lindsey Graham’s death.
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Andrews → pivot → death
She pivoted to criticizing Darline Graham as “Trump-endorsed and unqualified.”
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She → pivot → Graham
Andrews argues that Republican policies have weakened not only the broader U.S. economy but also the financial situations of children and families, centering her message on “building a South Carolina that we can all afford,” as she said last week in Columbia.
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she → argue → Columbia
As the pediatrician seemed to gain steam this fall, Republican groups infused millions of dollars into the race, characterizing the spending as an insurance policy for Graham.
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groups → seem → Graham
Trump attacked Andrews on social media, saying the Democrat doesn’t represent “the Values of the Great People of South Carolina.”
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Democrat → attack → Carolina
Some Andrews supporters acknowledge that while Democrats might ultimately break through in South Carolina, it might take more time.
uncertain
it → acknowledge → time
Paul Davis, of Aiken, said “people are really angry and fed up, and they can’t afford things.”
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they → say → things
However, he said a Democratic victory “may be a cycle or two away.”
uncertain
victory → say → ?
The candidates accuse each other of being unqualified
At their only debate, Graham and Andrews disagreed on issues including healthcare but primarily accused each other of inexperience.
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Graham → accuse → inexperience
“It is nothing personal, but she has shown time and time again that she is not up for the job,” Andrews said, calling Graham’s interim appointment “a nice gesture.”
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Andrews → show → appointment
Graham said serving while processing her brother’s death showed “just how strong I am,” adding that ”I’m just as qualified as you are.”
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you → say → death
At the Columbia rally, some of Andrews’ supporters said they were hopeful, despite Democrats’ years of Senate losses in the state.
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they → say → state
When Lindsey Graham last ran in 2020, he defeated Democrat Jaime Harrison by a 10 percentage point margin in a contest that turned into South Carolina’s most expensive ever.
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that → run → Carolina
“It’s definitely frustrating,” said Emily Glenham, a Columbia copywriter.
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Glenham → ’ → ?
“It’s definitely been disappointing, but you can’t not have hope.”
asserted
you → have → hope
Sandra Martin, of West Columbia, agreed Andrews had “a good chance” but looked more toward the future.
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Andrews → agree → future
“Georgia did it,” she said.
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she → do → it
“If Georgia can do it, there’s no reason we can’t, someday.”
asserted
we → do → it
The Aporia
