March 28th , 2026 Len’s Political Note #800 Annie Andrews South Carolina US Senate
2026 General Election
There are four doctors in the Senate now. Annie Andrews would be the fifth unless one of those Republicans is ousted. She would be different from the foursome. If nothing else, they are all Republicans.
John Barasso of Wyoming is an orthopedist who became anti-abortion to get elected. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is a gastroenterologist who supported the nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr to avoid retaliation from President Trump. Roger Marshall is an OB/GYN who dabbled in Trumpian cures to Covid during the pandemic. And Rand Paul is an ophthalmologist whose devotion to the libertarianism of his Congressman-father has made him a maverick in the Senate and no friend of Donald Trump.
Annie Andrews of South Carolina is a Democrat and a pediatrician who became a politician in reaction to the shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Her BA was from the University of Dayton. Her medical degree was from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Her residency was at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Annie Andrews had moved to South Carolina to become a hospitalist with the Medical University of South Carolina. Working and raising three children, that shooting shook her world, perhaps because her oldest would soon be starting school.
Annie Andrews started politics. Running for the South Carolina 01 Congressional seat was not exactly right for an amateur. She was thoroughly defeated by Republican Nancy Mace, now running for South Carolina’s open seat for governor.
Defeated, Annie Andrews thought she would not run for office again. She would approach politics differently. There was, she realized during her campaign, no organization, political or apolitical, devoted to the health and welfare of children in the wa tht AARP is devoted to the elderly. She founded Their Future. Our Vote – a non-profit advocacy organization. Complementing that effort, she founded Their Future PAC to support candidates devoted to the health and welfare of children. She has given her work a Washington focus, working as a clinical professor of pediatrics at George Washington School of Medicine and Children’s National Hospital. She has done research on the frequency of children’s firearms industry and provides advice to Moms Demand Action as well as Everytown for Gun Safety.
About a year ago, 314 Action came knocking. In 2016, this organization, inspired by the Emily’s List success endorsing progressive women candidates and reacting to the anti-science views of Donald Trump, began its effort to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics educated progressive political candidates. Doctors were encouraged. Annie Andrews was encouraged to run for the Senate against Lindsey Graham.
Annie Andrews’ opening campaign video got it right. After two years in the South Carolina House, eight years in the US House of Representatives, and thirty years in the US Senate; after numerous changes in his views, especially from being an acolyte of fellow Senator John McCain and then becoming one of the closest followers of President Donald Trump, it is just possible that South Carolinians have had enough of Lindsey Graham.
Lindsey Grham’s political flexibility political flexibility regarding Donald Trump is not news. In 2015, when both Trump and Graham were members of a large field of Republican Presidential candidates, Graham described Trump as a “jackass” for stating that John McCain was “not a war hero.” Trump responded that Graham was an “idiot” and informed supporters at a campaign rally of Graham’s phone number so they could call and tell him so. By 2016, Graham was saying that Trump was a “kook” and “unfit for office.”
Later in the campaign, Graham described Trump as a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” who was empowering radical Islam. He warned the Republicans if they nominated Trump in 2016 the Republican Party would be destroyed and would deserve that destruction. After the election, he informed his supporters and the rest of us that he had voted for independent candidate Evan McMullin for President rather than vote for Trump.
Come the new year, with Donald Trump as President, things changed. Graham gave his new telephone number to the new president. Visibly, they began playing golf together. Graham supported Trump’s political direction and explained that if Republicans undercut their Republican President, they would put an end to his presidency and to the party. Asked how he could have become a leading supporter of Trump, he explained he was attempting to “be relevant.” After the 2020 election, Graham stayed relevant, continued to support Trump including Trump’s claim that he won the election. After the January 6 insurrection, however, Graham acknowledged that Joe Biden had been elected President.
Lindsey Graham stayed relevant with and supported Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. With Trump’s victory Graham became a Senator the people of South Carolina did not know. Graham might argue that he is serving the people from South Carolina more effectively by becoming influential with the President. He might convince them.
Lindsay Graham has a history of beating back attractive primary opponents and attractive Democratic candidates. Can Annie Andrews achieve success when so many have failed. Graham will not be primaried successfully this time either. A mid-March poll shows him ahead of his primary opponent, businessman Mark Lynch, by 20 points. Lynch will not make up that much of a deficit before the June primary.
Annie Andrews may have caught Lindsey Graham at the right time. Graham’s approval rating among south Carolinians is in the low forties. His lead over Annie Andrews in the only 2026 poll is only five points. Even though Donald Trump has retained popularity in the South, he has done a lot to erode his position and that of his supporters – from people losing their health insurance to his own responsibility for a war with Iran. Tariffs have not been forgotten either.
Annie Andrews has work in front of her. At the beginning of 2026, Graham had more than $13 million for the rest of his campaign. He will have spent some of that money on the primary, but not that much. Annie Andrews could report some resources to begin the year. Her campaign had $1.6 million.
Annie Andrews does not need to catch Lindsey Graham financially. She does need substantially more money if she is to challenge him effectively. DONATE. Help her get the job done.
Neighboring races
Congressional Races: No other South Carolina Congressional races are ranked by the Cook Report, for instance, as competitive. Democrat Jim Clyburn is safely ensconced in SC 06. From SC 02 to SC 07, the rest are safely Republican.
Governor This is an open seat The incumbent Henry McMaster is term-limited. Three Democrats have announced: State Senator Jermaine Johnson is the only politician. Businessman Billy Webster can put a lot of money into the race. Attorney Mullins McLeod can, too, though he does not have as much money as Webster. South Carolina heavyweight Republicans have been attracted to the campaign – the Lt. Governor, the Attorney General, two members of congress, a state senator and a businessman.
Georgia
US Senate: Inc Jon Ossoff, becoming a leader figure in what the South should be v gun-toting Congressman Mike Collins. See Len’s Political Note #713 Keep this seat.
Governor: Ex-Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms v the Republican nominee. See Len’s Political Note #777. Flip this seat
Georgia Supreme Court: (This is a May 19 election – so help out now). Former State Senator Jen Jordan and personal injury attorney Miracle Rankin are running against two incumbents in the currently all Republican Georgia Supreme Court. Donate to Jen Jordan. Donate to Miracle Rankin. Make a difference for those seeking justice in Georgia. See Len’s Political Note #794
Georgia 14 Special election run off. (This is even sooner. On April 7th – so help out last week). Democrat Retired Brigadier General Shawn Harris v Trump-endorsed DA Clayton Fuller. DONATE TO Shawn Harris today and you might be part of replacing Marjorie Taylor Greene with a Democrat.
North Carolina
US Senate: Ex Governor and ex state Attorney General Roy Cooper v. Donald Trump-endorsed, former chair of the Republican national party chair Michael Whatley. DONATE to Roy Cooper See Len’s Political Note #744. Flip this seat and begin flipping the US Senate.
NC 01 Inc Don Davis v Businesswoman Laurie Buckhout. See Len’s Political Note #721. DONATE to Don Davis’s campaign. Keep this seat Democratic despite the state legislature’s effort for a further gerrymander to oust this Democratic Black Member of Congress.
NC 11. Farmer and grandson of a congressman Jamie Ager v {should I say feckless?) Inc Chuck Edwards. DONATE to Jamie Ager. See Len’s Political Note #783
NC Supreme Court. Incumbent Justice Anita Earls, who is a voice for democracy and civil rights v Speaker Pro Tem of the NC House Sarah Stevens. DONATE to Anita Earls campaign. See Len’s Political Note #787.
