Darline Graham falls to Democrat Annie Andrews in stunning Senate GOP defeat

Republican Sen. Darline Graham (S.C.), whom President Trump personally picked to succeed her late brother Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and was then encouraged by the president to run for a full term, has been projected to be defeated by Democrat Annie Andrews in a stunning loss for the GOP, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

Andrews leads Graham by 4 points with 84 percent reporting, according to DDHQ.

Graham’s loss, projected by Decision Desk HQ, moves the Senate closer to Democratic control, and gives the party a victory few would have seen coming just a month ago. At the beginning of the year, before Lindsey Graham’s death, it would have been nearly inconceivable.

The race had been edging closer and closer for weeks, with polls showing Andrews with a lead going into Election Day. Still, DDHQ, among other prognosticators, had Darline Graham as the favorite Tuesday.

But Darline Graham trailed badly in her vote totals behind what her brother had won in the state, after a rocky campaign that saw her win a tough primary battle over Rep. Ralph Norman.

She stumbled in one primary debate on foreign policy while taking a question on Taiwan, a moment that raised concerns among Republicans about her readiness for the race.

Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly in July after serving in the upper chamber since the early 2000s and after winning an initial June primary as he tried for a fifth Senate term.

Darline Graham was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) to temporarily fill the vacancy, marking the first time a sibling has been sworn in to replace a senator who died in office. She later launched a bid for a full term with Trump’s support and defeated Norman in a bitter primary runoff .

The Republican had the advantage in red South Carolina, but Cook Political Report shifted the race toward Democrats in the weeks ahead of the election, citing Graham’s political weaknesses and a competitive bid from Andrews, a pediatrician and political newcomer.

A Libertarian on the ballot, Kasie Whitener, also risked pulling some of Graham’s support to create a path for Andrews .

Norman’s son, Warren Norman, said ahead of the election that he would not vote for Graham and was “leaning” toward casting his ballot for Andrews .

A bipartisan pair of former South Carolina governors, David Beasley (R) and Jim Hodges (D), also endorsed Andrews just more than a week before Election Day.

“Now, over the years, the two of us haven’t always agreed on everything,” Hodges said.

“But one thing we do agree on right now is this country is too divided, and the political rhetoric has gotten way, way out of hand,” Beasley stated.

The results are a blow to Trump, who has said he recommended the late senator’s sister as an interim replacement, and he later called on her to run for a full term. As she campaigned, Graham touted her alignment with the president as she batted back criticisms about her lack of political experience.

Trump stumped for Graham and other Republicans in the Palmetto State in the closing days of the campaign.

Graham was close with her brother and a key fixture in his political life, though she had never held political office before her Senate appointment. Andrews’s win ends her tenure as the first woman and first graduate from a historically Black college or university to represent South Carolina in the Senate.

Both of South Carolina’s Senate seats have been red for decades, and Republicans dominate the state’s House seats and presidential races.