Andrews says Graham ‘hard to find on the campaign trail,’ ‘reading scripts’ from DC insiders

South Carolina Democratic Senate nominee Annie Andrews made one of her final pitches to voters ahead of Election Day , accusing Sen. Darline Graham (R) of reading from a script written by national Republicans.

“My opponent Darline Graham has been hard to find on the campaign trail,” Andrews told NewsNation’s Leland Vittert late Monday. “When we do hear from her, all she’s doing is reading scripts that were written for her by the same Washington, D.C., insiders and party bosses that handpicked her to be in this seat.”

Graham was appointed to the seat by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) after the death of her brother , the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R). Darline Graham pulled off a close primary win with President Trump’s endorsement but has found herself in an unusually competitive race against Andrews in a state Trump won by nearly 20 points in 2024.

To find success as a Democrat in the Palmetto State, Andrews will have to win over Republicans who are disaffected with their party. She pointed to her support from some within the GOP, including former Gov. David Beasley, who endorsed the Democrat alongside his onetime rival, former Gov. Jim Hodges (D).

“We’ve been building a campaign that’s for everyone, and I think a great symbol of the unity that my campaign represents is my co-endorsement from [Beasley and Hodges],” Andrews said. “We’re bringing people from across the aisle together because I’m willing to put South Carolina first.”

She will also need good turnout from Democrats at the polls. Black voters, who heavily lean Democratic , turned out in strong numbers across the South during the early voting period.

Andrews said the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which significantly weakened the 1965 Voting Rights Act, was a motivating factor for the key voting bloc.

“This reflects what I’m hearing from folks when I go from Black church to Black church,” she told the “On Balance” host. “People are fired up, and they understand that Washington isn’t working for them anymore. … That’s the frustration that’s turning into motivation.”

Still, Democrats have had hope of winning a Senate seat against a Graham in the past.

In 2020, Democrat Jaime Harrison — the former chair of the Democratic National Committee — was neck and neck in polls with Lindsey Graham but ultimately lost by 10 points.

Both parties appear to consider the race competitive this time around, with Republicans spending millions to boost Darline Graham in the final weeks. Nearly all of the GOP candidate’s fundraising has come from outside spending, while most of Andrews’s cash was raised by her campaign.

Decision Desk HQ, a partner of The Hill, gives Graham a 61 percent chance of winning a full term in the upper chamber of Congress.