Here’s How You Know the Democratic Rout Is On

Politics A Democratic Senator? From South Carolina? Tonight, Anything Is Possible. In a state once thought unassailable for the GOP, Democrats look on track to take over a Senate seat recently held by Lindsey Graham. South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews. Win McNamee/Getty Images Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff was long considered the most vulnerable incumbent in the country. He had narrowly won his race in a runoff in 2020 tilted by Donald Trump’s election denial, and Republicans had long salivated over their chance to take him out. His race was called before primetime coverage started on broadcast television. Democrats strolled to victory in other seats that Republicans had once targeted but slowly grown more pessimistic about. Former Gov. Roy Cooper flipped North Carolina from red to blue while incumbent Congressman Chris Pappas comfortably held the Granite State’s Senate seat. But none of that is a surprise—nor a particularly strong indicator of whether the midterms would be a blue wave or mere blue trickle for Democrats. The big flashing sign has come in South Carolina. Early returns have appointed incumbent Darline Graham struggling and losing to Democrat Annie Andrews, a doctor turned activist who previously mounted a losing House bid against Republican maverick Nancy Mace. WIth 56 percent of the vote reporting in the Palmetto State, Andrews was winning by a margin of 51.7 percent to 46.6 percent. South Carolina has long been a safe Republican seat. In 2020, Democrats spent over $100 million trying to defeat Darline’s late brother, Lindsey Graham. They lost by 10 points. Darline Graham is certainly not her brother. She is a tremendously poor candidate who stood on a debate stage and declared: “I’m not that informed on national security.” Her Republican primary opponent, arch-conservative Ralph Norman actively criticized her during the general election, and there was real resentment among South Carolina Republicans that she got the Senate seat via nepotism as Trump backed her simply because of his relationship with her brother. But although Darline Graham is a political neophyte who has run a poor race. It’s still South Carolina, a state that no Democratic presidential candidate has won since Jimmy Carter. The fact that the state was even close, let alone with Andrews favored, is a sign that this is going to be a strong night for Democrats. When asked by Slate about Darline’s struggles before the race was called, Norman said via text he was “Not surprised AT ALL!” The real surprise will likely be how many other Republicans in races that were seemingly safe are now in trouble tonight. If South Carolina isn’t a safe space for Republicans, where is? Democrats South Carolina 2026 Midterms