Graham and Andrews clash in South Carolina Senate debate
Republican Darline Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews traded attacks on the Iran war and each other's qualifications during a televised debate with Libertarian Kasie Whitener on Sunday night.
By Standard Topic. AI-generated from the reporting listed under Coverage. Published . Updated .
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What happened
Appointed Republican Sen. Darline Graham, Democrat Annie Andrews and Libertarian nominee Kasie Whitener took part in the only debate scheduled in the South Carolina Senate race. Graham sought to portray Andrews as too far left, while Andrews challenged Graham's qualifications and criticized her votes on the Iran war. The candidates also clashed over AI, Trump, data centers, debt and healthcare.
Why it matters
The race is to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, and the winner will be the first female senator elected from South Carolina. The reports describe the contest as one of the most surprisingly competitive Senate races of the 2026 midterms.
Timeline
- Oct 11, 8:00 PM ET: Republican Darline Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews debated, with Graham seeking to portray Andrews as too far left and Andrews challenging Graham's qualifications.
- Oct 12, 5:09 AM ET: SCETV hosted the first U.S. Senate general election debate, with the candidates clashing over data centers, debt and healthcare.
Coverage
- Candidates for U.S. Senate clash over data centers, debt and healthcare (greenvilleonline.com)
- Feud spills onto South Carolina debate stage (ABC News)
- South Carolina Senate rivals spar over Iran war, AI and Trump in fiery debate (NBC News)
- Takeaways from the South Carolina Senate debate (CNN)
- VV: SC Senate debate takeaways (CNN)
- S.C. Succession: History-Making Debate Could Reshape Palmetto State's Evolving Politics (fitsnews.com)
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