SC Senate Candidates Clash in Heated Debate Over Party Ties
WHO:
ABC News - Democratic South Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Annie Andrews and Republican Sen. Darline Graham are the main candidates in the debate.
ABC News - Lindsey Graham was the previous senator who died suddenly in July.
ABC News - Darline Graham is the sister of Lindsey Graham and was appointed to serve out the remainder of his term.
WHAT:
ABC News - The debate took place three weeks ahead of the general election.
ABC News - Darline Graham stated, “My legal name is Graham, it has always been Graham,” in response to a question about her last name.
ABC News - Graham mentioned, “Thank you for bringing up a horrible, tragic memory for me,” referring to her parents' deaths.
ABC News - Andrews criticized Graham for a statement made during a Republican runoff debate, where Graham admitted, “National security is not my thing.”
ABC News - Graham responded to Andrews by saying, “You are deceiving the people of South Carolina. You have flip-flopped on everything.”
ABC News - Graham claimed, “I'm just as qualified as you,” in response to Andrews' criticisms of her qualifications.
ABC News - The candidates participated in a heated debate, which was their only debate before the general election.
ABC News - The debate lasted for one hour and covered various issues including Iran, the economy, and artificial intelligence.
ABC News - Darline Graham was endorsed by President Trump during her campaign.
ABC News - Outside groups have invested millions of dollars into the race on Graham's behalf.
WHERE:
ABC News - The debate took place in Columbia, South Carolina.
WHEN:
ABC News - Two weeks of early voting in South Carolina starts on Oct. 19.
WHY:
ABC News - The race has tightened as Democrats hope to retake control of Congress while Trump's popularity remains low.
ABC News - The race has tightened as Democrats aim to retake control of Congress while Trump's popularity remains low.
ABC News - Andrews criticized Graham for not standing up to the Democratic Party, suggesting that Graham is too aligned with Trump.
HOW:
ABC News - The debate included a discussion on whether to use AI or support guardrails for it, which led to a squabble over Graham's qualifications for office.
ABC News - Darline Graham participated in a special primary and advanced to a runoff, where she won.
ABC News - Graham and Andrews exchanged criticisms regarding their qualifications for the Senate seat during the debate.
(UPDATED October 12, 2026 16:02 UTC)
In a heated debate just weeks before the general election, Darline Graham defended her qualifications against criticisms from her opponent, Andrews, who had previously called her out for admitting that national security is not her strong suit. Graham responded passionately, asserting that she is just as qualified as Andrews and accusing him of deceiving the people of South Carolina. The debate also touched on the contentious issue of AI, highlighting the growing divide as Democrats aim to regain control of Congress amid Trump's declining popularity.
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(UPDATED October 12, 2026 15:08 UTC)
In a heated debate held in Columbia, South Carolina, Democratic candidate Annie Andrews and Republican candidate Darline Graham faced off in their only debate before the general election. Graham, who was appointed to fill the seat of her late brother, Lindsey Graham, received an endorsement from Trump, while Andrews criticized her for being too aligned with him. With early voting set to begin on October 19, millions of dollars have been invested by outside groups to support Graham in a race that has tightened as Democrats seek to regain control of Congress.