YORK COUNTY, S.C. — It’s been decades since South Carolina sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate, and Dr. Annie Andrews pulled off an upset with wins in historically deep-red counties in the midterms.
York County proved to be a key victory for Andrews. Long considered Trump country, her win surprised even some Democrats.
York County resident Jewel Love said she had trouble believing the result.
“I told someone yesterday afternoon that if it happens, I would see it as a miracle for South Carolina,” she said.
Love said South Carolina has long been viewed as a reliably Republican state.
“You know, there’s a perspective for some Southern states, this one being one of them, that it will just go to the Republicans every single time,” she said.
More than 51% of York County voters selected Andrews for U.S. Senate, compared with about 47% for Darline Graham.
That gave Andrews a 4-point lead in the same county that President Donald Trump won by more than 19 points in 2024.
Winthrop political scientist Scott Huffmon said Andrews was able to motivate voters and win over moderates.
“It was Annie Andrews motivating people to get to the polls and vote for her and converting people who are moderates to vote for her when otherwise they might have voted for the Republican,” Huffmon said.
Huffmon said the result was also about more than Andrews’ opponent.
“Every midterm election is a referendum on the president,” Huffmon said.
Bill Bradford’s vote may be an example of that.
“There have been years when I have split my ticket,” Bradford said. “But I have not split my ticket in the last couple of rounds, presidential rounds, anyway. I would not vote for anybody who has had in any part enabled Trump’s agenda.”
Huffmon said the race for the 2028 presidential election started Tuesday night. After Andrews’ performance, South Carolina could see more visits from Democratic presidential candidates hoping to make more ground in the state.
Andrews won Chester County by 6 percentage points, while Graham won Lancaster and Chesterfield counties by a similar margin.
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