President Donald Trump traveled to South Carolina on Wednesday to rally voters behind U.S. Sen. Darline Graham faces a competitive race against Democratic pediatrician Annie Andrews as millions in outside spending flood the contest.
Trump Rallies for Darline Graham in Pendleton
President Donald Trump traveled to South Carolina on Wednesday to support U.S. Sen. Darline Graham, appearing in Pendleton to boost the senator whose stumbles in her first campaign since replacing her late brother have left Democratic voters hopeful but not necessarily optimistic. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a native of South Carolina, spoke ahead of the president on Wednesday and asserted that Graham was driven by the exact same kind of hope for America that her brother possessed.
Republicans have worked to ensure Andrews does not pull off an upset victory, while Andrews fired back in a fundraising appeal email by pointing out that her opponent called the president to campaign for her because she knows the campaign’s momentum is strong.
Data Center Industry Backs Graham in Senate Race
As the campaign moves toward Election Day, Graham has secured backing from the data center industry amid a closely watched Senate matchup. This industry support underscores Graham’s focus on data center expansion as a national security measure while emphasizing community involvement, though analysts note that such backing might decrease the probability of a Democratic win.
Andrews has taken a different tack, stating to Rolling Stone that she is not paying much attention to the National Democratic Party’s greater struggle and instead wants to be part of a new era of bipartisanship and compromise. She has traveled to locations such as Spartanburg, South Carolina, where residents are furious about a $3 billion data center that is being built in their backyard.
Focusing her message on building a South Carolina that everyone can afford, Andrews has centered her platform on healthcare, data centers, and the price of diesel while talking to people working multiple jobs just to keep their lights on at the end of the month.
Filling the Seat Left by Lindsey Graham
Before he died in July of an aortic tear, Lindsey Graham had ruled over South Carolina politics for 23 years on a glide path to a fifth term after winning the seat following the death of Strom Thurmond in 2003. Darline Graham rushed to define herself and clung close to Trump after replacing her late brother, but her early primary debate performance prompted questions over her readiness when she responded to a basic question about policy in Taiwan and the South China Sea by admitting she was not that informed on national security.
Andrews has seized on those moments to characterize the incumbent as Trump-endorsed and unqualified, arguing that her opponent was hand-picked by D.C. bigwigs and offered up as if she is the only choice while taking South Carolina’s votes for granted.
Outside Spending and Historic Precedents in South Carolina
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.
While it was a conservative state then and remains a conservative state now, Graham’s death and Donald Trump’s overwhelming unpopularity have created an opportunity for a Democrat to change the future. Local voters remain mixed; while some supporters at a Columbia rally expressed frustration over past losses, others pointed to neighboring states like Georgia as proof that a challenger has a good chance and can look toward the future with hope.