Trump Pushes for Darline Graham in Tight South Carolina Senate Race

President Donald Trump returned to South Carolina on Thursday to urge his party's base to vote for Darline Graham. He is trying to secure her victory in the final days of the campaign against Democrat Annie Andrews for a U.S. Senate seat. This is the second time Trump has visited the state in October.

The race is closer than expected in a state that has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly 30 years. Andrews, a pediatrician who previously ran for Congress, is challenging Graham. Graham was appointed by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster in July to finish the term of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. She became the party nominee in August for a full six-year term.

Trump spoke to supporters in Rock Hill and praised the late senator. He said, “He was a great politician.” He then turned his attention to Darline Graham and added, “She’s got the gene.”

Graham spoke before the President and thanked him for delivering promises made by Washington for decades. She warned voters that Andrews “would just throw it all away.”

Andrews campaigned in Fort Mill on Wednesday. She asked voters to “try something new for once.” She promised to win them over and noted that if they were unhappy with her work in Congress, “you can fire me in six years.”

Voters in the race are weighing party loyalty against their desire for change. Brent Chaplin, a 37-year-old finance and accounting worker, said he is a registered Republican but found it difficult to support the current candidates. He voted for Trump in 2016 but chose Andrews for the Senate. Chaplin said voters must use “brainpower” instead of just following party lines.

Benjamin Updegraft, a 32-year-old software engineer, expressed frustration that the seat is staying in the Graham family. He stated, “The Senate is not an inherited position.” He added that the country does not pass down noble titles between families.