This race comes down to South Carolina families versus the Washington insiders, data center developers, and Big Pharma interests backing Darline Graham and driving up costs for South Carolinians.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Dr. Annie Andrews won tonight’s U.S. Senate debate, laying out concrete plans to lower costs and holding Darline Graham accountable for putting Washington insiders and special interests ahead of South Carolina families.

After the debate, Dr. Andrews spoke directly with reporters, while Darline Graham’s Washington, D.C.-based spokesperson with a Boston accent read from the same script he wrote for her to deliver on the debate stage.

Darline not only declined to debate Annie again on stage, but couldn’t even face reporters afterward.

“The real winner tonight is the people of South Carolina, who finally got to see their senator answer questions. And while what they heard from Darline Graham may not have been what they hoped for, they also got to see a vision for what South Carolina could be — a state where families can afford their bills, where Washington insiders and special interests come second, and where their senator represents South Carolina, not Washington.”

Just as she has done on the campaign trail, Andrews brought the perspective of a mother and pediatrician to the debate, focusing on the challenges families across South Carolina are facing: unaffordable healthcare, high prices at the grocery store and at the pump, data centers raising their bills, and politicians who are handpicked, unqualified, and take advantage of them.  

Throughout the debate, it was clear who Andrews was fighting for and what she would do in the Senate to lower costs. She outlined her plans to take on insurance companies and Big Pharma, protect rural hospitals, suspend gas and diesel taxes, and stop data centers from passing their costs onto families. She also demanded an end to the Iran War and challenged Graham’s judgment in voting three times against ending a conflict that has killed 18 Americans and sent diesel prices to a record high in South Carolina – crushing farmers, fishermen, and truckers. 

While Andrews laid out a plan to lower costs, Graham has sided with the very interests driving them up. Her campaign has accepted money from insurance interests. Pro-AI interests have spent more than $1 million backing her candidacy, and she’s rewarded them by backing over $70 billion in tax breaks for data center companies. And she’s championed legislation that is expected to leave millions more Americans uninsured.

And yesterday, new reporting raised questions about her family’s business ties to Chinese weapons manufacturers and why her husband’s role at a company importing Chinese-made products was omitted from her Senate financial disclosure.

Tonight’s choice was clear: a doctor with a vision to lower costs and put patients first, or an unqualified politician, handpicked by the Washington insiders who control her campaign and her votes. 

See for yourself the stark contrasts on display during tonight’s debate (click below to watch the clips)

• The Iran war: “Why in the world would we stop?” Graham voted three times against efforts to end U.S. involvement. Andrews wants to end the war — 21 American lives should be enough.
• Darline REFUSES to debate again: Andrews challenged Graham to another debate multiple times.
• Lower costs: Andrews has concrete plans to lower healthcare, fuel, and utility costs. Graham has offered no comparable agenda. Andrews has called for suspending state and federal gas and diesel taxes to provide relief. Graham has done nothing to lower gas prices.
• Cut taxes + rein in the national debt: Annie’s the only one with a published plan to reduce our national debt and cut taxes for working families.
• Healthcare: Andrews will take on insurance companies; Graham has accepted their political money. 
• “Data Center Darline”: Pro-AI interests have spent more than $1 million backing Graham while Andrews fights for local control and lower bills.

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