South Carolina Senate race level at 48% each in new Times/Siena poll
A New York Times/Siena poll of South Carolina's Senate race shows the two candidates tied, with Democrat Annie Andrews and Republican Darline Graham each at 48%. The Times published the poll on October 28, and The Guardian reported the result on October 29.
Graham is the Republican who currently holds the seat as interim U.S. senator, according to CBS12. She was appointed after her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, died in July. She entered the race at Donald Trump's urging and has never held elected office, the Guardian reported. Trump won South Carolina by nearly 18 points in 2024. The state has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998.
Andrews is a pediatrician from Charleston. She supports a public option, a government-run health insurance plan, and lower prescription drug prices. She does not support Medicare for All, the single-payer model of universal healthcare.
Graham opposes abortion rights. During an August debate, she was asked about U.S. policy on Taiwan and said she was "not that informed on national security." In the new poll, 51% of voters said she lacked the right experience to be an effective senator. Independents favored Andrews over Graham by 57% to 37%.
Ralph Norman, a Republican congressman who lost the party's runoff to Graham, said he will not campaign for her.
A South Carolina Policy Council survey conducted this month gave Graham a one-point lead, which falls within its margin of error. The same survey found Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jermaine Johnson trailing Republican Alan Wilson by 10 points.
The Times's own analysis of its new Senate polls, which also covered Florida and Minnesota, found Andrews running 19 points ahead of the Republican advantage in South Carolina.
