Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews to challenge Lindsey Graham for U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina

WASHINGTON (WCBD) — Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and former Democratic candidate for South Carolina’s First Congressional District, is launching a bid for U.S. Senate to challenge Republican Lindsey Graham.

Andrews made the announcement in a May 29 video that showed several clips of Graham previously criticizing President Donald Trump, then later changing his tune.

“It’s embarrassing, and South Carolina deserves better,” Andrews says in the video.

Leaning on her medical background, Andrews also uses a series of X-rays to demonstrate her disapproval with the Trump administration’s health policy and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, whom she calls “the vaccine-denying, brainworm guy.”

She also slams Graham for voting to confirm various members of Trump’s cabinet, including Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Andrews noted in her campaign ad that Graham, who is seeking his fifth term, has been a senator for half her lifetime, saying he “doesn’t deserve a free pass” back to Washington.

Andrews’ platform is expected to be similar to that of her congressional run, in which she said, “her duty as a pediatrician and mother was to advocate for children and their families.”

After losing that race to Republican Nancy Mace in 2021, Andrews stepped away from her position with the Medical University of South Carolina and sought another means to further that goal. She started “Their Future. Our Vote,” a political action committee aimed at centering political conversations and policymaking around improving the world for future generations.

But Andrews faces an uphill battle in South Carolina, where no Democrat has won a statewide race in decades. Graham’s most recent re-election fight in 2020 against Democrat Jaime gained national attention, but Harrison still lost by double-digits despite raking in more than $100 million in fundraising.

At least one other Democrat, Greenville engineer Lee Johnson, has also said he plans to run in 2026.

Graham has also drawn a Republican primary challenger in Upstate businessman Mark Lynch.