Trump Enters South Carolina Race as Graham Poll Worsens

WHO:

Alternet - Katrina Shealy said she believes Darline Graham may feel as strongly toward Trump as she wants voters to believe.

Fox News - Fox News reported that three states had an average of 10% of voters undecided or unwilling to support major candidates: Alaska, Iowa and Kansas.

Fox News - Republican South Carolina strategist said Trump’s visit would help Graham’s campaign.

Alternet - Katrina Shealy said she hopes Graham will serve as a senator and lead with her “heart and mind.”

Alternet - President Trump said he thought Lindsey Graham considered his sister Darline the person he most respected, perhaps even more than Trump, and said he was unsure whether that made him happy.

Alternet - Katrina Shealy said she had known Darline Graham through politics, helped appoint her as executive director of the Commission for the Blind, and had worked on Lindsey Graham’s campaign.

Alternet - Former South Carolina Secretary of State Katrina Shealy said she supports Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews and criticized Republican candidate Darline Graham, saying Graham was “just following what people in the trump campaign are telling her to do.”

MS NOW - The race is between Republican Sen. Darline Graham and Democratic challenger Annie Andrews.

MS NOW - Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, called Graham’s Senate race “a fucking train wreck” and “a mess,” and said, “It’s not good.”

MS NOW - An unnamed South Carolina GOP official said the election was “tighter than where it needs to be” and described the resources going to the state as “wild.”

MS NOW - Former South Carolina governors—one Democrat and one Republican—jointly endorsed Andrews.

MS NOW - Warren Norman, son of Rep. Ralph Norman, wrote that “There is no true conservative to vote for in this election.” Ralph Norman lost to Graham in the August primary.

MS NOW - Mace said Trump would have to “drag her across the finish line” and warned, “If MAGA doesn’t show up to vote on Tuesday, she loses.”

Newsweek - A new poll found Graham and Andrews tied less than a week before the midterms.

Fox News - President Donald Trump is campaigning for Graham; Vice President JD Vance is also campaigning in key states.

WHAT:

Fox News - The Senate forecast said Democrats needed at least two states among Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas to have a clear path to 51 seats.

Fox News - Fox News said Democrats led in Minnesota and New Hampshire, while Maine could go either way; it described Maine as potentially Republican when Susan Collins is on the ballot.

Fox News - Kentucky’s 6th congressional district shifted from Lean R to Toss-up; Trump had won the district by 15 points in the last presidential election.

Fox News - The Ohio gubernatorial race shifted from Toss-up to Lean D; Fox cited Vivek Ramaswamy averaging seven points behind Amy Acton in high-quality polls since September, despite trailing by two points in a Fox poll.

Fox News - Fox said 19 House races shifted toward Democrats, citing national and district polling, strength at the top of the ticket and erosion among rural voters.

Fox News - The Senate forecast said Democrats were favored in 48 seats and Republicans in 46; a good night could give Democrats as many as 54 seats or Republicans as many as 52.

Fox News - The forecast moved Ohio from Toss-up to Lean D, Mississippi from Solid R to Likely R, and Ohio’s gubernatorial race from Toss-up to Lean D.

Fox News - A Fox poll showed Texas’s Senate race tied at 49%–49%.

Fox News - In the October survey, 85% of voters said they were concerned about inflation, 83% about gas prices, 79% about government leadership, and 75% about the war in Iran.

Fox News - The House forecast projected Democrats could win up to 252 seats on a great night; Republicans could reach around 212.

Alternet - Trump said Lindsey Graham considered his sister the person he most respected, possibly more than Trump, and Trump said he was unsure whether that made him happy.

Alternet - The article said Lindsey Graham became Darline Graham’s legal guardian after their parents died, when he was 20 and she was 13.

Fox News - The forecast moved Ohio’s Senate race from Toss-up to Lean D after Sherrod Brown led Republican Sen. Jon Husted 52% to 47% in a Fox News poll.

Fox News - The forecast moved Mississippi’s Senate race from Solid R to Likely R and Ohio’s gubernatorial race from Toss-up to Lean D.

Fox News - The October survey found voters favored Democrats over Republicans on inflation by 16 points, gas prices by 12 points, government leadership by 11 points, and foreign policy by 9 points.

Fox News - Its House forecast projected at least 223 Democratic seats, with a possible range up to 240 in a good Democratic night; Republicans had 195 seats in their columns and could reach around 212 in a good night.

Alternet - Shealy said she hopes Graham will lead with “her heart and mind and not with orders from someone else.”

Alternet - Shealy said Graham is a “great woman” with a “great family,” but believes Trump’s endorsement has swayed her and that she may be “play[ing] the game instead of saying what you really feel.”

Alternet - Shealy said grocery and gas prices affect less fortunate people, including those served by South Carolina’s Department of Social Services and Department of Juvenile Justice.

Alternet - Shealy said she believes Graham is not expressing her genuine views and hopes Graham would serve with “her heart and mind and not with orders from someone else.”

Alternet - Shealy said higher grocery and gas prices hurt less fortunate South Carolinians, including people affected by the state Department of Social Services and Department of Juvenile Justice.

MS NOW - A New York Times/Siena poll reported Graham and Andrews tied at 48% each.

Fox News - The Senate forecast moved South Carolina from Lean R to Toss-up; Fox said six states would determine the Senate majority.

Fox News - Democrats were favored in 48 Senate seats and Republicans in 46; Republicans could control the Senate with 50 seats because the vice president breaks ties.

Fox News - Fox projected a possible Democratic ceiling of 54 Senate seats and a possible Republican ceiling of 52.

MS NOW - South Carolina had not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1998.

WHERE:

MS NOW - Trump’s rally visit is in Rock Hill, in South Carolina’s Upstate; Rock Hill is Ralph Norman’s hometown.

MS NOW - Norman carried the area by 28 points in the primary.

WHEN:

Fox News - Fox News’ special 2026 midterm coverage is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET next Tuesday, November 3.

WHY:

Fox News - Fox said Democrats’ lead in House polling did not necessarily translate into a Senate majority because the House and Senate electoral maps were significantly different.

Fox News - Fox attributed President Trump’s declining approval rating and Democratic advantages on key issues partly to U.S.-Israeli military strikes against Iran; Trump’s approval fell from 44% before the war to 36%.

Alternet - Shealy said she supports Andrews because she believes Andrews cares about people harmed by economic conditions and is authentic; she said she believes Graham is being swayed by Trump’s endorsement.

MS NOW - Republicans said Trump’s involvement could help Graham by turning out MAGA voters, but could alienate voters who view his role as forcing her candidacy on the state.

MS NOW - Mace said voters object to perceived nepotism, saying Graham was “shoved down their throat.”

HOW:

Alternet - Shealy said she served on the committee that appointed Graham to lead the Commission for the Blind.

MS NOW - Trump urged Gov. H.R. McMaster to appoint Graham to complete her brother’s term, encouraged her to run for the full six-year term, and endorsed her after she entered the race.

MS NOW - Trump’s visit was described as his second to South Carolina in two weeks and third in three months.

Fox News - Trump was set to campaign for Graham in the Upstate, where Fox said she underperformed in her primary runoff against Ralph Norman.

(UPDATED October 30, 2026 12:25 UTC)

South Carolina’s Senate race is tied, with Trump campaigning to boost Republican Darline Graham against Democrat Annie Andrews. The contest is now rated a toss-up, as former governors from both parties endorse Andrews. Nationally, Democrats have a path to Senate control, while shifting House forecasts also favor them.

(UPDATED October 30, 2026 03:59 UTC)

Republican Senator Darline Graham and Democratic challenger Annie Andrews are tied at 48 percent in a South Carolina Senate race that has shifted to a toss-up, drawing a campaign visit from President Trump and criticism from both Republican and Democratic figures. Former South Carolina official Katrina Shealy, who supports Andrews, says Graham is following Trump’s direction rather than speaking her own mind, while Republican Representative Nancy Mace has called the race a mess and warned Trump may have to carry Graham to victory. The Senate outlook remains competitive, with Democrats favored in 48 seats and Republicans in 46, while a Fox News special on the midterms is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET on November 3.

(UPDATED October 30, 2026 01:12 UTC)

South Carolina’s Senate race between Republican Darline Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews has tightened to a tie, with polls putting both candidates at 48 percent and the race now rated a toss-up. President Trump is campaigning for Graham in Rock Hill, while Republican Rep. Nancy Mace called the campaign a mess and warned Trump may have to carry Graham to victory; former South Carolina governors from both parties have endorsed Andrews. Former Secretary of State Katrina Shealy, who has worked with Graham, is backing Andrews and says she wants Graham to lead with her own judgment rather than follow Trump’s direction.

(UPDATED October 30, 2026 00:00 UTC)

Republican Senator Darline Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews are tied at 48% in a South Carolina Senate race now rated a toss-up, an unusually close contest in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1998. President Trump is campaigning for Graham, but Republican Representative Nancy Mace called the race a “train wreck,” while former Republican Secretary of State Katrina Shealy endorsed Andrews and said she believes Graham is following Trump’s direction rather than speaking her own mind. Nationally, forecasts show Democrats gaining ground in several key races, with voters favoring them over Republicans on inflation, gas prices, government leadership and foreign policy.

(UPDATED October 29, 2026 23:06 UTC)

A new poll has Republican Sen. Darline Graham and Democratic challenger Annie Andrews tied at 48 percent in a race that has shifted to a toss-up, with President Trump campaigning for Graham in South Carolina. Former South Carolina Secretary of State Katrina Shealy, who says she helped appoint Graham to lead the Commission for the Blind, is backing Andrews and says Trump’s influence has pulled Graham away from her own views; Shealy also points to grocery and gas prices hurting vulnerable residents. Rep. Nancy Mace called Graham’s campaign a mess and warned she could lose without MAGA voters, while former governors from both parties have endorsed Andrews.

(UPDATED October 29, 2026 20:02 UTC)

South Carolina’s Senate race is now a toss-up, with a new poll putting Republican Darline Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews even at 48 percent, in a state that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1998. Former South Carolina Secretary of State Katrina Shealy and governors from both parties have backed Andrews, while Republican Rep. Nancy Mace has called Graham’s campaign a mess and warned that President Trump may have to carry her across the finish line. Trump is campaigning for Graham in Rock Hill, as critics say his role helped shape her candidacy and some voters see it as pressure from outside the state.

(UPDATED October 29, 2026 14:08 UTC)

A new poll has Republican Senator Darline Graham and Democratic challenger Annie Andrews tied at 48 percent, pushing South Carolina’s Senate race into toss-up territory. President Trump is campaigning for Graham in Rock Hill, but Republican Representative Nancy Mace says the race is “a fucking train wreck” and warns Graham needs MAGA voters to turn out, while critics say Trump’s role in elevating her has alienated voters. Andrews has won endorsements from two former South Carolina governors, and the state has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998.