On Tuesday, South Carolina voters cast their primary ballot for the U.S. Senate. Pediatrician and mom Dr. Annie Andrews won the Democratic nomination and will run against a 23-year incumbent, Lindsey Graham in the general election.
While Graham’s unpopularity is at an all-time low, Dr. Andrews in a stronger position than ever to deliver an upset victory in November. In a recent primary poll, Graham didn’t even reach 50% support from respondents—a red flag for the warmonger facing re-election in a tough climate for Republicans this fall. Graham has already spent over $7.5 million since April in the bruising primary, trying to claw back support for prioritizing funding for the Iran war over healthcare.
While Graham scrambled to fend off his primary challenge, Dr. Annie Andrews is building momentum to win in November. The path to winning back the Senate could be decided by an upset win by Dr. Annie Andrews.
Proof of Concept: STEM Leaders Sweep Victories
314 Action Fund endorsed Dr. Andrews early in the cycle and over the past year, we have helped raise over $2.5m for her campaign. As a pediatrician, Dr. Andrews is one of 314 Action’s Guardians of Public Health, joining the organization’s most ambitious $25 million campaign to elect 100 doctors, nurses, and public health professionals by 2030. If successful, Dr. Andrews will become the first Democratic doctor in the U.S. Senate.
Since her launch, a wave of STEM candidates have seen victories in 2025 and 2026—proving that doctors and scientists are among the strongest and most trusted candidates on the ballot. In 2025, over 100 STEM leaders were elected to statewide, local, and municipal seats, including Dr. Mark Downey (VA-HD-69), the first Democrat in over a decade to carry the district and now, the only doctor in the Virginia State Assembly.
On the federal level, doctors and scientists have secured decisive victories, including PhD mathematician Daniel Biss (IL-09), microbiologist Dr. Jasmine Clark (GA-13), systems engineer Jacqui Irwin (CA-26) and combat surgeon Dr. Adam Hamawy (NJ-12), presumptively adding four new STEM members to Congress following highly competitive primary races.
The 2026 cycle is shaping up to be a healthcare election—and Dr. Annie Andrews is building a strong campaign to make the race for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina competitive, putting this seat on the map. With her grassroots support, strong fundraising and trust on the ballot, South Carolina is up for grabs in November.
Senator Lindsey Graham Popularity Underwater
As Dr. Andrews’ momentum surges, Senator Graham’s popularity is rapidly sinking in South Carolina.
Instead of focusing on top issues for South Carolina voters, Senator Graham has made supporting the Iran war his top priority, saying he “would give up his job” over the war. Five Republicans jumped into the primary to end Lindsey Graham’s political career, citing growing frustration with the war hawk, saying he’s focusing too much on “international issues.”
A new poll from Citadel Poll shows there’s blood in the water, with only 46% of respondents supporting Graham. Though Graham held onto his primary nomination, it’s clear that his support is slipping.
This comes following a Public Policy Polling poll commissioned by 314 Action Fund showed the majority of voters in South Carolina say that it’s time for someone new, with 60% supporting a new candidate and just 29% saying Graham should be reelected. His approval with Independents is in the toilet, with only 14% of Independent voters saying he should be reelected.
Trust in Doctors, Trust in Dr. Andrews
An Impact Research poll found Dr. Andrews within five points of Senator Graham (47-42), but when voters learn more about her background as a doctor, the gap shrinks to two points between Dr. Annie Andrews and Lindsey Graham (46-44).
With an earlier Public Policy Polling poll finding that 47% of voters disapprove of Senator Graham’s performance in relation to healthcare, Dr. Andrews is the best candidate to take him on.
Recent research also confirms that scientific and medical professions have some of the highest approval ratings and levels of trust among voters—especially on the issue of healthcare. South Carolina is still recovering from an unprecedented measles outbreak, infecting almost 1,000 people. While Dr. Andrews was on the ground, working around the clock to protect and treat children, Graham remained silent. In December 2025, a total of 72% of voters said they were very concerned about the measles outbreak.
Neck-and-Neck in Fundraising
New reports show that Graham has already spent $7.6 million “in the pre-primary period” to defend his seat and avoid a runoff.
In contrast, Dr. Andrews continues to outraise Graham this cycle, with $2.1 million in the bank over the last quarter fueled by grassroots support and an average donation of under $29 dollars. Heading into the primary on Tuesday, she’s outraised Graham in three consecutive quarters and raised over $6.4 million this cycle.
Bottom Line: Don’t Count South Carolina Out
Graham is deeply unpopular, uniquely vulnerable and is facing a tough primary challenge to defend his 23-year incumbency in the U.S. Senate. The path to winning back the Senate may run through South Carolina as Dr. Annie Andrews continues to build grassroots momentum, trust and narrows the fundraising gap to take on Graham and win.
About 314 Action Fund
314 Action Fund is the nation’s only organization working to recruit, train and elect scientists. Over the past 10 years, 314 Action Fund has elected over 500+ STEM candidates to all levels of government. In the 2026 cycle, 314 Action Fund is already working with 250 STEM candidates running nationwide.